


An Unstoppable Force

by ifailbutitry



Category: Elyza Lex (Fanverse), Lexark - Fandom, QTWD, clexa - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-06-02
Packaged: 2018-05-26 08:49:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6232219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifailbutitry/pseuds/ifailbutitry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elyza Lex has always been a survivor and what is this but another obstacle in her way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

####  Chapter 1 

Elyza was tired. Scratch that she was exhausted. Not the exhausted that a good night’s rest could cure (even if she was capable of one of those), but the type that made her bones ache and her fingers shake. If she was being honest with herself, this shit storm was possibly the best thing that had happened to her in quite some time.

About a month after moving to the states she had been placed into foster care. After that she was bounced from foster home to foster home, some better than others but none replacing what she had once had. Her life became skipped classes and afternoons spent on rooftops, reading, drawing, passing time. It had become a monotonous blur up until her neighbor tried to bite her face off. She hit him upside the head with a rock laying on the ground until he let go and then took his motorcycle and got out of there, not checking to see if he had stood back up or not.

For the first time in her life she had free reign and was completely in control. No asshole foster parents, no skeptical cops, and no one expecting anything from her. Since she came to the States her life had been shit but she was a survivor and this was just another obstacle in her way. 

Her original plan was to get out of the city and find a secluded spot, hiding out as if she was plucked straight from The Outsiders. She didn’t know if her neighbor had died but she did know that an orphan stood no chance in court. That plan changed when she caught sight of the news and the chaos that was happening. People where going crazy, attacking anyone who crossed their paths, nearly impossible to stop. She quickly paid the waitress at the diner and then slipped out, sliding her steak knife into her pocket when she was sure no one was looking. 

Her next encounter occurred when she stopped for petty at an old petrol station. She had walked into the store and was looking for someone that worked there when she heard the groaning behind her. There was blood on his arm and while she was asking him if he was alright, he was grabbing at her. It was a quick altercation, though it didn’t feel like it. One second she was pushing him away, arm on his neck, and the next the steak knife that was in her pocket was suddenly lodged into his eye. She wasn’t sure if Mr. Larson had died but she was sure that this guy had.

"Sorry mate," she mumbled. "In peace may you leave this shore" she whispered to him before shoving him off. Seeing as no one else was in the store, she quickly walked around, picking things up to take with her and shoving them into her backpack. What few toiletries were in the store, snacks, bottled water. She then slid across the counter, grabbed the gun that was laying below, rang up her gas, and got out of there. 

She was just outside of the city when the looting began and she realized that she had gotten out of there just in time. She sat and watched from afar as the city went up in flames. She could see the crowd even from a distance. The riot only lasted a day before the tanks started rolling in and soldiers started shooting. She stayed there for another day clutching the steak knife in one hand and the gun in the other, watching as a fence was erected at the top of the city, as soldiers continued to patrol the streets, and as things got quieter and quieter. As she waited she cleaned the gun she had found countless times and drew the city in her sketchbook repeatedly, adding more and more detail, but eventually the restlessness got to her and she decided to venture into the city. 

Going by foot to avoid drawing attention to herself, Elyza made her way unsure of what she would find. She hadn’t gotten far before she encountered the first body. Laying at her feet was an older woman, body littered with bullets. She kneeled down and looked at the woman, tilting her head to the side as she did so. She had bite marks on her neck that were too serious to just be a kink and in her hand she clutched a photo of what was clearly her family. Elyza took the photo from her hands, wiping as much of the blood as she could off and pocketing it. "May you meet them again." She continued on, approaching bodies as she made her way, pocketing photos, ids, things that made these people real. Eventually her pockets were full and just as she was about to turn back, she came across the biggest mass of bodies yet. 

When she turned the corner, Elyza was greeted by body after body. Laying in the street were men and women, young and old, clearly mowed down. Scattered about she could see the occasional soldier, bite marks covering their bodies and single gunshot wounds to the head. She walked to the middle of the scene, ignoring the smell, and knelt down. Turning her head in every direction, she tried to take it all in before making her way to the closest soldier. Going through his pockets and his belt she found an impressive amount of magazines, a medkit, a grenade, and a knife that would do much more damage than her stolen steak knife. She unclipped the belt from around his waist and then laid it next to his body before rolling him over and removing his backpack. She took the items out of his pack and took a quick inventory of what was inside. She packed the useful stuff back in, MREs, a water filter, flashlight, sunblock, flint for fire, some rope, a couple pairs of socks. As she went she filled the pack with as much gear as she could fit and grabbed all the guns she could carry. She was just about to call it a successful trip when she heard the tanks coming back. 

Dashing towards a truck that was parked on the side of the road, Elyza threw her bag onto the floor of the passenger seat and shoved the rifles underneath. She had just closed the door and squeezed her body in the space under the steering wheel when the first tank rounded the corner. She could hear as people ran out of houses, shouting at the tanks. The next thing she could hear was the sound of bullets and she buried herself even further out of sight. She glanced down at her father’s old watch, clutched the gun in her hand, and waited for everything to die down. By the time it was silent again, it was nearly dark and she had resigned herself to having to stay for the night. So pulling her leather jacket tighter against her body, Elyza allowed herself to enter a restless sleep, hopeful that no one would run across her.

_Yeah, the end of the world isn’t too bad._

 

When Elyza woke up she was beyond sore. Between sleeping with her knees pushed into her chest and her neck forced into an odd angle, it wasn’t exactly the best nights rest. After peaking to make sure that the coast was clear, she twisted her body around until she found herself in the seat. She popped an ibuprofen from one of the medkits and then slid out of the truck, placing a gun in her back pocket, a knife into each boot, and a rifle over her shoulder. She stretched out and then grabbed a third knife to carry in her hand. Closing the truck door behind her, she took in how the street had changed. There were even more bodies lying about, something that she hadn’t realized was possible, but none of these bodies were additional soldiers. She walked to a fallen body in one of the doorways and inspected him. He didn’t have any bites and she was fairly certain that he hadn’t already been sick which meant 

_They’re killing everything_

She was just standing back up when she heard the growling. The first source was a woman who was clearly a reaper and quickly had a knife lodged in her skull. The second was a boy about her own age who got to her while she was retrieving another knife from her boot. She ducked under his grasp and then shoved her knife into the back of his head, using the momentum of him falling to pull the knife free. The last reaper was a preteen and she hesitated to act. The hesitation was all it took for the girl to grab her. She was snapped out of it by the uncharacteristic strength of the child and quickly dropped her with a swing of her blade. She was breathing heavy and kicked herself for faltering.

 _The dead are gone. The living are hungry_

She stopped to close each of the reapers eyes, retrieved her knife from the woman’s head, and wandered the house, careful of any more surprises. In the living room she found a picture on an end table that she took out of its broken frame and folded into her pocket. In the coat closet she pulled out a duffle bag that she carried with her from room to room. In the kitchen she grabbed a can opener from one of the drawers, which she used to open a can of ravioli before throwing in the bag. A couple of other cans were added as she ate before she moved on. The contents of the medicine cabinet, a baseball cap, some aviators placed on the top of her head, a few cds. Item after item was taken. 

When she walked back out to the street, Elyza looked around at the abandoned vehicles. Her eyes settled on a large truck with a lid over the bed. She picked the lock on the bed, placed her duffle in, transferred the items from the other truck, and closed it back up. That’s how her day was spent, ruffling through the things of the dead, occasionally disposing of a reaper. She was able to revisit the fallen soldiers, collecting items she didn’t think she’d be able to carry before from their bodies; remaining guns, additional magazines, holsters, bottled water. The sun was still high in the sky when she finished and she was just about to climb into the truck when she caught sight of the compound at the top of the hill. Considering the night before the soldiers had shot down a number of innocent lives, Elyza was skeptical. They were foxes in sheep’s wool and the actual sheep had no idea.

Huffing she entered the nearest house facing the compound. Climbing the stairs and walking into a room that faced the fence, she pulled a mirror off of the wall and approached the window. The next ten minutes she spent reflecting the sun off of the surface and hoping that someone would see the signal. Right as she was about to give up she saw a reflection being returned, and she signaled back a few times before placing the mirror back down. Once done she descended the stairs, hotwired the truck, and got the hell out of there, returning to where she had parked her bike. 

 

Gun after gun, that’s what she had. She had removed the lid and in the back of her truck she laid out her supplies and they were everywhere. And scattered around those were knives. Large knives, small knives, pocket knives. She reloaded all the guns, clicked on the safeties, and placed them in duffle bags, riffles separated from hand guns. A few were left out, placed in strategic places; duct taped under the steering wheel and to the bottom of each of the trucks seats. All of the extra magazines were placed into the collected belts. Deciding that knives where the better option when guns could be avoided, as they would avoid attracting attention, several where strapped to her thigh and the rest went into a small bag that she placed in the passenger seat.

With all the weapons out of the way there really wasn’t that much left. Most of the houses had already been picked through so food was scarce. Without the MREs from the soldiers there’s no way it would have been enough. Even with, she knew she’d have to ration. There was even a ukulele she had grabbed from one of the houses because _Why the fuck not?_ It was covered in stickers and drawings that its previous owner had added and Elyza liked the reminder it gave. She picked up a couple of more useful items as well, mostly from the soldiers who hadn’t arrived until all of the looting was already over. She split the flashlights, fire kits, and rope between the truck and the compartment of her bike. All of the additional items only took up about a fourth of the bed’s space.

When she was finished she had about an hour before the sun would go down. She couldn’t help but glance back up to the compound and think of the people who had no idea what was coming to them. 

That night, instead of sleeping under the steering wheel, she slept in the bed of the truck under the protection of its lid with an assault rifle on one side of her and a hand gun on the other, three knives strapped to her thigh.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day Elyza woke up in the darkness of the trunk and panicked for a second before realizing she had put herself there. She reached up and grabbed the flashlight under her makeshift pillow and shone a light around the truck bed, glancing briefly at her watch to make sure it was actually daylight, unlike the times she had previously woken up. Satisfied that it would be light out, she moved around until she was facing the latch to open the tailgate. With her left hand on her gun, safety off and poised to shoot, her other pulled the latch. When she was sure the coast was clear she climbed out, and hunched over with her hands on her knees she struggled to catch her breath.

“Fuck!” she yelled as loud as she dared, wondering why she thought that was a good idea. And then grumbling to herself she remembered. There was no way anyone would see her, be they dead or alive. With the mild panic under control, she grabbed her sketchbook and spent the morning sitting on the hood of the truck, putting what she had seen the day before on the pages within, wishing it would get the images out of her head but knowing that it wouldn’t. Occasionally she would use the binoculars she took from one of the soldiers to look into the city. From what she could see there wasn’t much movement in the streets. The compound was too far to see much, even with the binoculars, but she could make out enough to get an idea. Rations? she wondered. _How long until they decide there’s not enough to go around? Until they realize there’s too many people and not enough food?_ She pushed the thought from her mind and packed up to head back into the city. She reeked, her clothes were bloodstained, and her hair was a mess. 

Grabbing a spare bag, Eliza threw in a bar of soap and one of the toothbrushes she took from the gas station. A gun was slid into a holster on her right thigh, across from the knives on her other, and then she secured her backpack and placed a rifle on top of it. Straddling her bike, she shot off once more, much as she had done the night before. 

This trip wasn’t as shocking as her previous. She was already becoming use to the destruction. There weren’t as many reapers but she was quickly able to dispose of the ones that did appear. Afterwards, the shower that she had originally came out for was even more necessary. By the time she reached the first house, cleared and barricaded it, she had additional blood in her hair and had wiped her knife on her jeans to clean it off several times. Stepping under the spray of the shower, she was thankful for the clean feeling it brought even with the water being freezing. She took her time washing the grime off, using the men’s body wash and the flowery shampoo that was already in the house to provide an interesting mix of smells. She then raided the bathroom for items she hadn’t thought to take previously; a comb, fingernail clippers, a razor. She laughed at her own ridiculousness, shaving her legs in the middle of an apocalypse. Sitting there in the bathroom she was able to pretend this was just another day. The room was untouched by the outside world and she pushed it all away until her eyes caught sight of her clothes laying on the floor which were quickly thrown into the tub to be cleaned. She scrubbed away as much of the blood and dirt as she could before leaving the bathroom in search of spare clothes. Her exit brought back the realness of her situation as she was faced with the body at the bottom of the stairs. She let out a deep chuckle at the fact that she was walking around, as naked as the day she was born, with dead bodies lying around the house like it was just an ordinary day. 

With extra clothes packed in her bag, a few extra toiletries, combed hair, and freshly brushed teeth, Elyza placed the still damp hat on her head. Before she left she returned to the room with the mirror and signaled the compound one more time. She was just setting the mirror down when she spotted the Humvee on the corner. Soon after she heard the front door being forced open.

“Shite,” fell harshly from her lips as she looked around the streets below for any soldiers.  
Seeing that the coast was clear, she pulled her body out of the window, stood on the sill, and climbed onto the roof. Her feet had just disappeared from the window when she heard the door to the room being opened and then a number of people rushing to the space she had just occupied. She ripped the rifle from her back as she continued running across the flat roof and was jumping to the next when she heard the gunshots behind her. The noise attracted previously hidden reapers and as the soldiers became distracted she was able to shimmy down the side of the second roof and get to her bike. She shot off into the sunset, the sound of gunshots fading the farther she got.

_She just wanted a fucking shower_

 

She didn’t really know how to spend her day from there. It was quickly getting dark by the time she returned to her truck and she could still faintly hear the gunshots coming from the city. So she went ahead and climbed back into the bed of the truck, trying not to panic in the small dark space. It was probably hours until she finally dozed off and it was a sleep she would wake from many times, finding it hard to breath.

The next day was much like the previous night. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself so she slid the lid of the bed off and laid there, staring at the clouds and listening to the sound of the wind whipping around. Occasionally she would open her sketchbook or flip through the pictures she had begun collecting but for the majority of the day, she laid still, basking in the sunlight. 

When it started getting dark she sat in the cab of the truck, not ready to return to the closed of bed she had taken to calling ‘The Coffin.’ She was looking through the binoculars at the Humvees leaving the compound when she saw it. A horde of reapers ambling through the streets towards the cordoned off area. She sat up straighter before grabbing as many knives as she could, put a belt of ammunition around her waist, and placed pistols in her holsters. Two rifles were strapped diagonally to her back before she got on her bike and headed to the compound, hoping to warn them before the walkers arrived.

By the time she got there, she was too late. The walkers had already knocked over the fence and she could see the people inside trapped with nowhere to go. She stepped away from her bike and watched the scene in front of her. The reapers had overwhelmed the military and choppers were flying away from the building next to her. They had never landed. 

Quickly making up her mind, she pulled a rifle off her back, a knife from her leg, and ran into the building. The camp was beyond saving but the people in the building were not. 

When she entered the building it was the flashing lights that greeted her and she hadn’t made it ten meters before the first reaper appeared. She quickly dropped him with the butt of the rifle and then stabbed him in the head to make sure he wouldn’t get back up.

"Safe passage on your travels," she walked away.

Every reaper she passed was disposed of in a similar manner, with the same words muttered. Occasionally she would see someone running in the opposite direction, clearly very much alive at the moment. She’d give them a brief nod as she walked, and they’d spare her a glance just long enough to know she wasn’t going to kill them and then continue down the hall. The deeper she got into the building the more reapers she found. She was now covered in a sheen of sweat and kept having to wipe her hands on her jeans.  
When she happened across the doctor, she was startled by her calmness. The stranger had just shot one of her patients in the head when Elyza was spotted.

“They’ll be here soon,” she spoke quietly to the doc, stepping closer.

“They’ll be everywhere soon,” they locked eyes. 

“How many…?” she looked around, unable to ask the question.

“Forty-seven,” she closed the eyes of her last patient. Elyza looked down at the man closest to her. His eyes had been shut and he was clutching a picture of who she assumed was his family. A family that probably had joined the masses of reapers.

“And now?” she looked back up and approached the doctor. The woman met her eyes but didn’t respond, her knuckles turning white from her grip on the gun. That was an answer in itself. Elyza stepped closer, pulling a stool with her, and sat in front of the doctor. She placed her hand on top of the doctor’s, covering the gun as well. “Don’t.”

“Why?”

“You lost forty-seven but how many did you save? How many could you still save?”

“You can only run for so long.”

“How’s that any different from before? We’re always running from something. Even if it’s just the oxygen oxidizing in our lungs. Life is about surviving until suddenly you’re not. We all go eventually, but is this how you’re going to kick it?” She pulled the second rifle off of her back and held it out to the doctor. “Or are you going to try and get the fuck out of here with me?” 

“I can’t,” the doctor raised the euthanizing gun.

“Wait,” Elyza’s hand grasped the doctors once more. “What’s your name?”

“Dr. Bethany Exner.”

“I can’t change your mind?” she whispered and as the doctor shook her head no, Elyza briefly closed her eyes. “Do you… do you want me to?” her hands were shaking.

“I can’t ask-“

“You shouldn’t have to do it alone,” the Australian responded. The two locked eyes, brown meeting blue. Elyza was just about to take the gun when Bethany pulled the trigger. Through the shock Elyza was able to catch her before she hit the ground. 

She laid her down gently and ran her bloody fingers through her hair, working through what had just happened. She was looking at the ceiling when she heard the reapers coming through the door. 

“Shite,” Elyza started backing up towards the other door. The reapers immediately sped up once they realized she was there.

“Shite, shite, shite,” her accent was even more pronounced in the moment of desperation. She was backpedaling, refusing to take her eyes from the approaching danger. Elyza ripped open one of the pockets of her belt.

She dove to the floor as she threw one of the grenades from the soldiers into the mass of reapers. Four seconds after she had pulled the pin she heard the sound of the explosion. When she looked up most of the walkers lay on the ground motionless and the rest were dropped with gunshots to the head. 

As she ran through the halls, Elyza shot any reapers that she came across, no longer worried about keeping quiet. Eventually she made it back to her bike and left just as quickly as she had come, weaving through the reapers on the street, headed back to the truck. 

It wasn’t until she got back did the events hit her.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is! I was going to keep the good doctor alive but I changed my mind right before posting so I had to go back and change some things. I wasn't sure if people would read but thanks so much! I hope you guys continue to enjoy what I've got. I have a bit written already so I'll try to update fairly regularly.


	3. Chapter 3

“Fuck,” Elyza hit the side of the truck. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” each curse was punctuated by her hand meeting the metal. She crouched down, her eyes staring up at the city that was now up in flames. She had to do _something_. She couldn’t just let these things kill everyone, destroy everything. She knew she was destructive. She was rash and angry and _**broken**_ , but things weren’t suppose to be this way. She may be broken but that just made everything else so much more beautiful. There was nothing beautiful about this though. This was turning good, decent people into monsters and those who weren’t turned would eventually be broken just like she was, just like the doctor was.

Elyza stood up, back straight and fists clenched. She was going back. With nothing to lose, why not be the one to kick some reaper ass? As she was riding back to the city she passed a truck carrying a family. As long as there were still some people alive, she might as well fight for something. They’d all die eventually, why not go out swinging?

 

Things became a bit of a routine from that point. There was no law enforcement anymore, no structure, no jobs, no bills and Elyza was okay with that. It was just nature now. Human nature and surviving the wild. It wasn’t much different from before for her, just trying to survive, trying to get by. The only real difference was that everything was quieter now. It was something she thought she’d like, and sometimes did, but she would often find herself lost in thoughts that she would much rather avoid. Other times she’d take the time to sit and appreciate things that hadn’t changed; the sun rising and setting every day, casting a litany of colors across the sky that were just as beautiful as ever. She finally got to see the stars shine in a way that she hadn’t seen since she had lived in Australia with her parents. 

Her life now was pretty simple. It was sleeping when she could in boarded up houses, drawing whenever she felt her fingers twitching to do so, reading in the dark of night, and playing music until the light of morning. And in the days it was fighting off the hordes into manageable numbers, trying to forget the people they use to be and focusing on those who still were. 

It was during one of her outings when she heard the scream and her head snapped away from the reaper whose skull she had just smashed in with the heel of her boot. At the sound of a second yell, she took off towards her motorcycle and sped towards the sound of the voice, dodging through the abandoned cars and fallen bodies. 

“Nick just go!” a girl wildly swinging a baseball bat yelled. The boy, Nick she assumed, looked torn between staying to help and taking off as fast as he could. The group of walkers was large though and the boy left, promising to bring help. Elyza revved her engine hoping to draw their attention and a couple looked but the majority stayed focused on the girl. She skid to a stop just steps away and before her feet had touched the ground she impaled the closest walker with her knife and its companion met the same fate. The rest remained facing the girl who, while doing well to keep them away, had yet to land a hit to their heads to finish them off. Elyza pulled out her pistol and shot each of them, blood splattering onto her face in the process. She was just about to ask the girl if she was alright when the bat collided with her.

“What the hell?” she yelled, doubled over.

“I’m so sorry,” the girl’s eyes were wide. “I was already midswing and…”

“Stop, stop, it’s alright,” Elyza’s eyes were clenched closed. She went to breathe in deeply but then gasped at the pain that caused. “Ah fuck,” she moaned. “If you had hit the bastards in the head you wouldn’t have needed my help,” she stood up straight, clutching at her side, and finally got a good look at the girl who had hit her. Her breath halted but she couldn’t decide if it was from the pain in her ribs or the green eyes staring back at her. She kept her eyes locked for a few seconds, unable to look away, until she was able to gather the willpower. She turned and walked back to the two reapers that still had her knives embedded in their heads. She grasped at the handles and pulled them out with a quick tug, teeth biting into her lip at the pain that shot up her side. Wiping the blood off on her jeans she walked back to her bike and threw a leg over to straddle it. “I need a fucking shower…” she muttered. The other girl stayed motionless where she stood. "What are you waiting for?” she turned her head. At the girl’s confused face she gestured to the space behind her. “I’m not just leaving you here to get bitten. I didn’t take a bat to the side for all the effort to go to waste.”

“I’ve got to get back to my family.”

“And I’m driving you,” Elyza’s brow furrowed. “Look, will you just get on?” When she finally complied, Elyza took off, following the directions that were yelled to her over the sound of the wind. 

When they finally arrived Elyza took in the familiar scene. She had cleared the area out about a week ago and found herself grateful that she did. She had just pulled up to the house when a woman with blonde hair darker than her own came running out.

“Alicia!” she was rushing towards where they were parked in the driveway. Elyza was both relieved and disappointed when the girl, Alicia, let go of her waist to meet her mother. She watched as the two reunited, the mother running her hands through her daughters hair, checking to make sure that she had made it back okay. “What happened,” her hand came away from her arm bloody and Elyza hopped off her bike at the sight. She joined the two in three strides and lifted Alicia’s sleeve.

“You didn’t say anything,” she snapped inspecting the wound. Any response was cut off by her returning to her bike and taking the first aid kit and a bottle of water out of the compartment on the back. She then guided Alicia into the house and towards the bathroom, ignoring protests from both women. Elyza gestured to the bathroom sink for Alicia to sit and other than a roll of her eyes she complied. “What happened?” she started cleaning the wound. Despite the harshness of her voice her hands remained gentle.

“Climbing through a window and a piece of glass caught me. No biggie.”

“You need stitches,” she pulled out the suture kit.

“There is no way in hell I’m letting you take a needle and thread to me.” She started to slide off of the sink when Elyza placed a hand on her waist and pushed her back. 

“Trust me,” blue locked with green. “Look,” she raised her shirt a bit, showing her own stitches. “See? I’m a pro and it’s already healing.” Alicia stared at the skin briefly before nodding slightly.

“Alright,” she acquiesced and Elyza got to work. The whole time Alicia’s eyes never strayed from Elyza’s face. Her mother’s eyes never left her hands.

“There you go Little-bit,” she placed her hand on her knee, giving a smile that looked a bit more like a grimace. Her attention was then split between the two, “I don’t suppose either of you have any medical experience?” The older woman was just about to answer when they heard the front door open. Before they could stop her Elyza had drawn her gun and was taking off down the stairs. When they reached her she was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her gun drawn and staring down the barrel of another.

“Wait!” Alicia had reached her before her mother had and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s just Travis and Daniel.” Elyza lowered her gun but Daniel did not.

“What are you doing here?” his gaze never wavered but neither did Elyza’s. She stood in front of him, looking extremely calm for someone who had a gun in her face. She then felt thin fingers wrapping around her own.

“It’s alright,” she heard Alicia telling her quietly and relinquished the gun. The girl then stepped in front of her, placing herself between Elyza and the gun. “It’s alright Daniel, this is,” she faltered, not knowing her name.

“Elyza. Elyza Lex,” she pulled the girl back behind her, not liking the image of her standing in front of a gun for her. She kept her shirt clasped in her fist so she’d stay put and stared Daniel down until he lowered the gun.

“Why are you here,” he asked again.

“I was just leaving,” she turned her head halfway to address the two women. “When the cut heals you’ll have to remove the stitches. Just cut the threads near the knots and pull them out.” She was halfway to the door when Alicia called out to her, causing her to turn.

“It’s dark. You should stay the night,” she offered. Elyza raised an eyebrow in amusement before Alicia spoke up again. “You didn’t take a bat to the side just to die after dropping me off,” she smirked and Elyza knew there was no way she would be able to turn her down.

“Alright Little-bit.”

“Alicia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw something on tumblr where they had Elyza calling Alicia Little-bit and I thought it was adorable so I aded it. Hope you guys enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of zombies a bit of fluff. Hope you enjoy. Let me know if I suck at dialogue because I've got no idea. Or if I'm jumping around too much. I'm winging it

Removing her shirt, Elyza couldn’t hold back the groan that slipped past her lips. She avoided looking in the mirror and the reflection of her blood splattered face and stepped into the shower, wishing the water was warmer but grateful for the cleanliness it would bring her. When she finished she chanced a glance in the mirror and winced at the shade of purple her side had turned. She shrugged on her borrowed clothes and popped a few pain relievers, hell-bent on ignoring the pain.

“Well hello there,” the voice from behind had her turning around.

“Can I help you?” 

“Australian are you? I’m Nick, Alicia’s brother,” he held out his hand and wore what was supposed to be a charming smile. She glanced down at his outstretched hand and then back up to his face. 

“Elyza,” she turned and started to walk away but Nick quickly fell into step with her.

“Come on, I’m just trying to be friendly.”

“Yeah, I’m not really friendly,” she stopped in front of an open door.

“That’s okay, I can be into that,” he winked at her, leaning against the door frame.

“Yeah and I’d rather be into your sister,” she raised an eyebrow at him before squeezing past him into the room where said sister was currently laying on the bed. The boy looked at her with his jaw hanging open before continuing down the hall muttering to himself. 

“It’s not happening by the way,” Alicia didn’t even glance up from the phone in her hands.

“A girl can dream,” Elyza shrugged her shoulders before settling herself into the corner of the room. She sat quietly for a moment before looking up at Alicia. The girl laid in the middle of the bed, headphones shoved in her ears and slowly moving her head from side to side along to the beat of the music. She was struck by the thought that in this hideous new world, she was blessed to see something more beautiful than she ever had before. Her hands itched to reach out but she settled with tracing the lines of her jaw with her gaze. She was following the path of her exposed collarbone when the girl spoke up.

“You’re staring,” her eyes still didn’t leave the phone.

“Yeah,” she muttered before clearing her throat. “What were you doing out there?” her voice was stronger now.

“We were looking for food. We apparently made a bit too much noise. We didn’t even hear the walkers coming.”

“You’re low on food?” she received a small nod. “I can bring you some.”

“Why?” Alicia finally looked at her, completely puzzled, and Elyza found herself drifting again.

“I didn’t take a bat to the side for you to starve to death,” she turned her head to face to the ceiling, missing the way Alicia’s eyes roamed her face.

Elyza was strange to Alicia. One moment she was killing walkers, not even flinching at the blood on her face, and the next she was sowing stitches onto her arm so delicately that she didn’t even realize she had started until she had stepped away. Not a minute after she had finished she was rushing down the stairs brandishing a gun, ready to go in shooting. Even in front of a gun she was collected. She hadn’t expected her to release her gun so easily and when she stepped in front of Elyza she expected even less that she would immediately pull her back and hold her in place. She wasn’t sure what made her ask Elyza to stay, just that as soon as the thought entered her mind it left her mouth. So she gave her some clothes and went back to her temporary room.

She could hear bits and pieces of their conversation as they walked down the hall but couldn’t make it out in its entirety until they stopped in front of her door. 

“Yeah I’m not really friendly,” she didn’t have any arguments there. Between the tattoos and piercings lining her ears she wasn’t the most approachable person. That was before she even factored in the leather jacket, boots, and motorcycle. 

“That’s okay, I can be into that.” If Alicia rolled her eyes any further she was sure she’d catch a peek of her brain.

“Yeah and I’d rather be into your sister,” Alicia nearly dropped her phone. She was torn between amused and annoyed that she had said those words to her brother of all people. It’d only be worse if the words were spoken to her mother. She watched from the corner of her eyes as the blonde made her way to the chair sitting in the corner.

“It’s not happening by the way,” she was straight after all.

“A girl can dream,” Alicia nearly laughed at that but held it in, choosing instead to focus her eyes on her phone. She was bobbing her head along to the music for a good five minutes before she spoke up.

“You’re staring,” and she had been staring for a while. She was surprised when Elyza did nothing to deny the fact but not as surprised as she was when she offered to bring them food. 

“I didn’t take a bat to the side for you to starve to death.” Alicia turned her head just as Elyza turned to look at the ceiling. She never thought she’d be happy to hit someone with a baseball bat but here she was. And besides the guilt she felt at hurting this girl, she was happy that it brought them together. Her eyes remained on her form, unable to look away once she allowed herself a glance. Her blonde hair had fanned out against the chair, popping against the contrast of the black fabric, and her blue eyes were closed tightly. Alicia found herself wishing that she would open them once more. Her own green roamed to the piercings on her ear and she counted them from her place on the bed, five total. She allowed herself to take in what she could. Beauty mark just above her lip, a broken infinity tattoo on her collarbone, what looked like a gear necklace. She kept looking until she drifted off to sleep.

When Alicia woke up Elyza was in the exact same spot as when she went to sleep. She was twirling a butterfly knife around in her hand when she caught her eye.

“You’re awake,” she stated before starting to get up. She winced briefly and dropped back down into her seat before trying again. “How’s your arm?” she asked, inspecting the stitches as she did so, only to have Alicia slap her hands away.

“Lift your shirt,” she demanded.

Elyza couldn’t help but smirk. “‘Not going to happen’ my ass. Do you want me to close the door first or are you an exhibitionalist?” Alicia ignored the comment, sitting up and grasping her shirt to pull her closer. 

“Someone’s bossy,” Elyza muttered before her shirt was lifted. 

“What the hell?” Alicia yelled as she took in the purple and yellow skin on display. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she ran her hands along the bruised ribs, tracing her fingers along the little galaxies. She withdrew as Elyza flinched. “Did that hurt?” she looked up worried.

“Your hands are just cold. It’s fine,” she shuddered as Alicia began tracing again.

“You didn’t say it was this bad,” she was letting her hands roam even further, inspecting where the bruise met unblemished skin.

“It’s not a big deal,” she reached down and stilled the hand against her body. “It was an accident,” blue met green as it often did. It was in this position that Madison found them in; Elyza standing between Alicia’s legs as she was holding up her shirt and had her hand flush to the skin just below her bra. Her clearing her throat is what interrupted them. Alicia jolted up in surprise and her head collided with Elyza’s nose on her way up.

“Shite,” her hands shot to her nose which was now gushing blood. She turned to the door to look at Madison who was clutching the bat in her hands so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. “What the hell is up with you guys and bats?” she tried to get out around the blood that was now dripping down her face.

“Just use the shirt!” Alicia was yelling as she pushed her towards the bathroom.

“Ish yurs” she muttered around her hand.

“I just possibly broke your nose, I think my shirt is a fair price to pay.” She pushed her to sit on the toilet before sticking her head out of the bathroom. “Travis!” she yelled before kneeling in front of the girl with a wet washcloth. “I’m so sorry. First the bat and now this. I swear I’m not-” Alicia had started rambling.

“’S okay Lish. Had worse. ‘S not broken. Probably,” she was attempting to talk around the girl cleaning blood off her face. Travis walked in the room and immediately let out a laugh.

“Again?” Alicia whipped her head towards him and gave him a look that quickly had him kneeling in front of Elyza. “Let’s see then,” he turned her face to get a better look.

“Its fine,” she glanced back at Alicia. “See, its already slowing down. I’ve got a compress in the first aid kit. No worries Little-bit,” she smiled the best she could around the bloody cloth. 

“It’s not broken,” Travis declared once the blood was cleared away, allowing the girl to stand back up and handing her the cold compress. When they got downstairs, Alicia forced her to sit on the couch before sitting next to her with a bottle of water.

“What happened to you?” Nick asked gesturing to her nose.

“Apparently your sister isn’t friendly either,” she raised an eyebrow and smirked, admiring the shade of red the boys face turned before Alicia slapped her leg, one of the few parts of her she hadn’t yet injured.

“She’s full of it Nick.”  
“Full of something. Your sisters right, she was nothing but kind to me,” her voice lowered and Alicia’s eyes widened at how dirty she was able to make that sound. She was opening and closing her mouth, searching for words when Ofelia’s laughter broke through the silence. She sat on the couch across from them and extended her hand towards the blond.

“Ofelia.”

“Elyza,” she stuck her hand out and had she not known about the bruise marring her skin, Alicia would’ve missed the small wince. As it was, she didn’t, and reached out when everyone else was preoccupied to place a soothing touch on the purple skin. The longer it remained, the further Elyza sank into the couch and into her side.

“I really am sorry,” she whispered.

“Hey,” she raised her head a bit. “I didn’t take a bat to the side for apologies,” she grinned before laying her head on the back of the couch once more.

“Why is it that every time I see you, my daughter’s hands are up your shirt,” Elyza was startled out of her near sleep state and opened her eyes to see Madison Clark glaring at her. Nick snapped his head in their direction and Ofelia was grinning at Alicia. 

“Sorry,” Elyza mumbled sitting up straight. 

“Seriously mom?” Alicia rolled her eyes. “It's not as if-“ Elyza cut her off 

“I should be going,” at the surprised look Alicia gave her she clarified. “I've got a truck in town with supplies. Food right?”

“I'm coming too,” she started to get up. 

“Like hell you are”  
“It's not happening Alicia,” both Madison and Elyza spoke at the same time. 

“You're not going by yourself,” she crossed her arms over her chest and glared. 

“I'll be fi-“ Alicia placed a hand on her side, not nearly as softly as before. When Elyza jolted away she gave her a pointed look. “Fine, but not you,” she grumbled. “The area isn't cleared out yet.”

“Dad can go,” Ofelia spoke up from the couch. 

“The guy who held a gun in my face, I'd rather go on my own thanks,” she grabbed her jacket and started towards the door before Alicia grabbed her arm. 

“Look, he's alright. Just a bit rough around the edges. You two have that in common” she muttered the last part. 

“Tell him to be ready in five minutes,” she stalked off to get ready. 

When Elyza came back down the stairs she looked like a completely different person. She had changed back into her own clothes and Alicia found herself taking in the sight she had missed the day before. She started at her feet with the scuffed combat boots and then trailed her eyes upwards from there. Tight black torn pants hugged her legs and strapped to her left leg was an array of knives and to her right a gun. Around her waist she had placed a military belt and her white tank top showed of an assortment of tattoos she hadn't seen and a back that flexed when she donned her leather jacket. With the skin covered she was able to move her eyes up to her face and the blue that were outlined in impressive black makeup, set free by the sunglasses holding her hair back.

“I'm thinking she won't need dad,” Ofelia’s voice in her ear had her jumping. “Careful or you'll catch flies.”

“Shut up,” she huffed, pretending the woman wasn't on to something. 

“He's fine,” Travis was trying to calm Ofelia who was pacing around the kitchen. 

“It's been two hours,” she glared at Travis and then continued moving. Alicia sunk deeper into her chair at the table, resting her head on her arms, and closing her eyes. She didn't look up when she heard the chair next to her sliding out, but when a hand came to rest on her arm she took a quick look to see Chris sitting next to her. 

“You alright?” He grasped the hand resting on her arm when she shook her head. 

“I’ve just got to grab some things from inside,” Elyza hopped out of the truck and Daniel soon followed her. When they got inside Elyza led him to the room where she had taken up residence. Scattered about were some of the items she had collected over the weeks. There was a pile of photos in one corner, the ukulele in another, and a couple cans of food stacked in a pyramid. She placed everything in her backpack and then turned to leave.

“Duck,” Daniel yelled out and once she did, he fired a shot at a reaper that tried to grab her. The bullet grazed his face, taking away half of his jaw, but failed to stop him completely. She quickly stuck a knife through his eye and he fell for good. They headed towards the front door but what they saw had them stopping in their tracks. In front of them stood dozens of reapers.

“Stop,” Elyza stuck her arm out, seeing the reapers before Daniel did. “Back door,” she started pushing him in the opposite direction. By the time they got there most of the reapers had made it into the house. “Get to the truck and go,” she told him as he went through the door. Before he could answer she closed the door behind him and locked it. 

“Fuck,” she muttered, taking in the shear mass of decomposing bodies. “One at a time Elyza.”

When the first reaper is nearly within range, she flips her knife to an overhand grip, preparing to strike. As he reaches for her, she pushes her right arm out, closing her hand around his throat, while the other pulls back and then stabs through his ear. He drops to the ground but the next wastes no time in coming towards her. She side steps the woman and then kicks at her, shoving her into several other reapers and buying herself an extra second. It’s a dance as she maneuvers around the approaching bodies, slowing them down as she can. As the third goes for her neck she drops to her knees and out of its reach to slice at the back of its knees, blood spraying onto her face and the cut in its hamstrings causing it to fall. She rears her leg back and then kicks his head in.

A reaper is snapping at her and she shoves her knife up through her chin, continuing the motion until the beast is motionless. 

There’s blood on her face and arms now, smearing as she attempts to wipe the sweat from her brow. She continues the dance.

A knife through an eye, one through the ear. A knee, driving upwards into a fallen reapers head. Decapitation? Shit, that’s harder than she thought. Its bodiless head is still snapping at her from it’s place on the ground. Kill the brain then. There, it stopped. She continued dancing around, never stopping her movements, and very aware of the bodies piling up on the ground. “One at a time Elyza,” she kept muttering to herself. Eventually one at a time became no more are left. 

“In peace may you leave this shore,” she glanced over the room one last time before picking up her bag and walking out. 

“I told you to go to the truck,” Daniel was still standing right outside the door. She walked right past him and into the large black truck, waiting for him to get into his own. 

When the front door finally opened, Ofelia rushed out of the kitchen with Alicia only a few steps behind. Daniel walked in the door first, a bit of blood on his shirt but otherwise unharmed. 

“Where's Elyza?” Chris spoke up from her side. 

“She was just behind me,” he turned to look back until he was pushed out of the way by Alicia and Chis heading though the door. When Alicia caught sight of the other girl she stopped in her tracks, causing Chris to run into the back of her. Elyza was storming across the yard, face blank, and covered in dark blood. Alicia immediately picked up her pace and met her at the hose. “Are you alright,” she asked as Elyza stated furiously scrubbing at her skin. She didn't spare her a glance as she brought some water to her face. When Chris returned to the house it was just the two of them. Elyza kicked off her blood soaked boots and filled them with water before dumping them out. Alicia watched as the once clear water now came out red. She tugged her shirt off and continued scrubbing blood that was no longer present off of her body. “Elyza,” she kept scrubbing. “Elyza stop!” she paused for a second and then was storming off towards the black truck, leaving Alicia to trail behind her. Before she could get a word out, Elyza was headed into the house, a new shirt on and two bags in her hands, Alicia following behind like a puppy unsure of what to do. Elyza placed the duffle bag on the table and then walked back out, pausing just long enough to give a nod to Daniel. Alicia decided to stay behind as she left the room and once she had cleared it Alicia turned to glare at Daniel. 

“What the hell happened?” There was no hiding the accusatory tone. 

“I don't know,” he shook his head.

She glared at him, taking a step closer. “How do you not know? Why'd you even go then?” Her voice was raised and Chris was starting to pull her back from where she was advancing on the older man. 

“She locked me out of the building. We were clearing out when a big group came. We were going through the back door and when I turned around the door was closed. She came out, hardly said a word, and got in her truck. Came right back here.” He reached out and opened the duffle bag and inside was food for them all. 

When Alicia walked into her room, Elyza was back in her chair in the corner with her head tilted back and her eyes closed, listening to whatever was playing through the old headphones over her ears. 

“You alright?” she watched the fingers drumming along on her thigh. 

“Yeah,” her voice was raspier then usual. 

“Want to talk about it?”

“Not at all,” her grip on her thigh tightened so Alicia let the topic drop. However she kept moving closer until she was seated on the nightstand next to the chair with her feet on the arms, and her arms wrapped around her knees. “Now who’s staring,” Elyza opened her eyes and was met with Alicia’s face millimeters from her own. 

“What happened here?” She tapped a thin scar on Elyza’s eyebrow. 

“Cut when I was fifteen.”

“And here?” a small mark on her jaw. 

“Fight on my thirteenth birthday.”

“This one?” Elyza reached up to the small mark on her hairline.

“That’s my favorite,” she smiled. “I got that one when I was still in Australia. I was only ten and my dad was chasing me around the lawn. Tripped and hit my head. My mom did the sutures herself and my dad was forced to sleep on the couch for nearly a week.”

“Why did you leave?” Elyza’s brow furrowed. “Australia I mean.”

“My parents were from here. My dad was an aerospace engineer and took a job there just after I was born so that’s just where I grew up. He got transferred and we came back.” Alicia wasn’t going to ask where her parents were now. If she wasn’t with them there couldn't be a good answer to the question. Instead the two remained silent for several minutes.

“How’s your side?” Alicia finally spoke up.

“It’s fine,” she just shrugged.

“Let’s see it then,” she gestured for Elyza to get up.

“You sure do spend a lot of time trying to get me to strip. All you’ve got to do is ask Buttercup. No excuses needed.” She stood in front of Alicia and lifted her shirt.

“What the hell did you do?” Alicia pulled her closer and started turning her slightly. She wasn’t sure how she had missed the extensive bruising earlier. She ran her fingers over the bruise that now had started wrapping around to her back. 

“It's worse than this morning.”

“Yeah I bumped it,” Elyza shrugged nonchalantly. 

“’Yeah’” she mocked, “you're laying down and putting a compress on that.” Alicia rolled her eyes, a small part of her brain warning her they'd get stuck like that. 

“I think I'll pass,” she started taking a step back but was held in place.

“Mom,” Alicia called out to the woman who was walking past. “Tell her she needs to take it easy,” Elyza shot her a look, unable to believe she brought the woman into this. 

“I think she can-“

“Mom.” Madison's attention was drawn to them and Alicia’s pointed look that was now staring down the other girl’s side. 

“I'll see if I can find a cold pack,” she sighed and headed down the hall. 

“I can't believe you told on me to your mom,” Elyza muttered, pulling her shirt back down. 

“I can't believe you're so difficult... What are you doing?” Elyza had sat down on the ground and was balling up her jacket.

“I'm laying down.”

“There's a bed right there.”

“That's your bed. Are you propositioning me? I'd say I'm not that type of girl but I'd be any type of girl you wanted me to be buttercup.” Alicia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Do you ever- you know what, just lay down.”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” Elyza had been laying there for two hours alternating between staring at the ceiling and her.

“I’m not tired.” She was fiddling with one of her earrings now, twisting and occasionally pulling at the hoop in her cartilage. Alicia set her book down in her lap.

“You sure look like you are.”

“Oh thanks. That’s just what a girl wants to hear.”

“Yeah, well you look like shit.” Elyza scoffed. 

“You’re too kind,” she was silent for a moment. “I can’t sleep,” she finally admitted, her eyes avoiding Alicia’s face entirely. “I’ll crash eventually.” 

“You didn’t sleep last night.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“No.”

“And the night before?” the brunette asked and was answered with a shake of the head. “When did you last sleep?” Elyza’s eyebrows furrowed before she answered.

“Three or four days. I’m not really sure anymore,” she had turned completely on her side, facing away from the other girl. “I almost got Daniel killed today,” she was silent for the next few moments, nervously biting at her hand, thinking of how to fill the silence. “I was almost asleep earlier on the couch but then your mom walked in and surprised me. You’ve got magic fingers,” she flirted but her chuckle was a little darker than usual.

“You don’t have to do that,” Alicia was scooting down on the bed to lie next to Elyza, looking at the other girl’s back. “Just brush things off like that. What happened?”

Just when she thought her question was going to go unanswered, she spoke up. “We went into the house to get some of the things I had laying around. I didn’t want to leave them because I wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone. It was stupid of me to go in to grab them anyway. What good is a bunch of pictures in the fucking apocalypse?” She let out a self deprecating chuckle that Alicia was starting to become familiar with. “Did you know that sleep deprivation causes hallucinations? I assumed it was finally getting to me, that I was hearing things, going crazy.” She took a jagged breath that was a mix of the literal pain in her ribs and the metaphorical one in her chest. “I should’ve thought about how much the noise of the truck would attract them. So when the room was full of the reapers, I locked Daniel out. No need for him to bite it because I was stupid. Ofelia needs him.” She fell silent and Alicia couldn’t help but reach her hand out. She was absentmindedly running her hand up and down the back in front of her when the words fell from her lips.

“I’m glad you made it back,” she moved closer, trapping her hand between their bodies. “Get some rest,” she mumbled into the blonde’s neck. She quickly complied with the request.

Outside the door stood Travis who was beginning to feel guilty for intruding on the moment.

When he got to the kitchen he was immediately approached by Madison.

“I thought you were getting Alicia.”

“She’s resting with Elyza,” he walked pass her not making eye contact.

“With Elyza?” her voice had hardened slightly and he just nodded. “This girl shows up, all leather and tattoos, and everyone just lets her…” she struggled to find the words but the rest wasn’t important as she had started storming towards where the two were sleeping.

“Maddie just wait,” she turned to glare at her fiancé. “She’s just a teenage girl,” he threw his hands out.

“A teenage girl who showed up out of nowhere with an assault rifle strapped to her back,” she was starting to raise her voice.

“A teenage girl who saved both Alicia and Daniel. A teenage girl who gave your daughter sutures worthy of a doctor. A teenage girl who showed up with a pickup truck worth of supplies willing to share with us.”

“And that’s not at all suspicious to you?” she was whispering angrily outside of the door.

“Look, Alicia is a good judge of character. And she’s clearly decided the girl is alright,” he gestured to the room. Madison looked inside to see Elyza curled into a ball and her daughter wrapped around her back, pulling her closer with an arm thrown around her waist. Madison deflated a bit at the sight.

“Alright,” she acquiesced. “But I’m keeping an eye on her.”

When Elyza woke up it was to Alicia clinging to her back. 

“What are you doing?” she had woken up while Elyza was shuffling around and sleepily pulled her closer.

“Why am I the little spoon?”

“Huh,” sleep clearly had left her puzzled. Elyza reached up and clasped their hands together. She then rolled them both over until they were facing the opposite direction.

“Just go back to sleep Buttercup,” she whispered into her hair.

“It’s Alicia,” she was already asleep.

“Whatever Buttercup,” she dozed back off as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get to see Elyza with some of the others here. A bit of a treat at the end. Kind of

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Ofelia asked as Alicia sat down.

“She’s washing up,” a pause. “And she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yet,” Chris piped up from his can of cold Spaghetti O’s, receiving a glare in return. 

“I’m straight.” Ofelia nearly snorted.

“Yeah, as my Spaghetti O’s,” another glare. 

“You spend a lot of time staring for someone who’s straight.” Ofelia was now outright laughing.

“Not that I blame you, she’s totally hot,” Chris was grinning.

“Who’s hot?” Elyza came into the room and dropped herself down on the couch next to Alicia. 

“No one,” Alicia spoke up quickly.

“Thanks again for sharing your bed,” Elyza was grinning. “I haven’t slept that well since I was twelve. I was exhausted.”

“Yeah it wasn’t a problem. My pleasure.” Both Ofelia and Chris were listening in and started to laugh, unsuccessfully attempting to cover it up with a coughing fit. Alicia was slowly turning red and Elyza just raised an eyebrow.

“Clearly I missed something,” she stood back up. “I’m going to get some food and let you three finish whatever it was you were doing,” she nudged Alicia’s leg. “You hungry?” At her nod she left the room.

“Not for food,” Chris blurted out as soon as she cleared the room and had to dodge the pillow thrown at him.

“What, what are you doing?” Madison looked up as soon as the words left Elyza’s mouth.

“Did you draw these?” Elyza didn’t answer, unsure of what to say. When she got no response, Madison looked back down at the sketchbook in her hands. This page was a black and white sketch of a sea of walkers and leading the group stood a little girl, no more than ten years old, grasping a bear in her hand. The bear was the only color on the page and stood out in a bold red. 

She turned the page, a shaded city up in red flames. She turned again, a hand grasping a knife, both dripping dark red blood.

“Please stop.” She turned the page again. The doctor as she was falling, just after she had shot herself. That one was one of many.

“Madison…” she turned the page. The bodies with no bites but littered with holes.

“Please…” she turned the page. A bite, dripping dark red blood.

“Enough!” Elyza yelled for the whole house to hear right as she turned the page one last time. There in front of her was a drawing of her daughter. She didn’t get to look at the picture of her daughter sleeping long as the younger girl had stormed up to her and taken the sketchbook. Before she was able to speak up, Elyza had left the room.

“What happened?” she stormed right past Alicia and out of the front door.

She was out of the house in seconds and headed to her truck. She immediately got in, screaming once she closed the door behind her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe as she clutched the sketchbook to her chest. Her hands were shaking and her breath beginning to get shallow when Alicia opened the door.

“Elyza,” nothing. “Elyza look at me,” Alicia forced their eyes to meet by grabbing Elyza’s chin. 

“Breathe,” she started taking deep breaths, waiting for the other girl to fall into place with her. After several minutes she finally evened out. “Alright?” She nodded and then turned to rest her forehead on Alicia’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Thank you,” she placed her hands on her waist, gripping at the fabric of the flannel wrapped around it. “I’m a fucking mess,” she chuckled darkly. Alicia tried to ignore the thought of how good the other girl smelled, even during an apocalypse.

“There’s dead people roaming the streets, I think that’s fair.” 

“I was a mess even before all this.” They stayed like that for several minutes, Alicia standing between Elyza’s knees, Elyza holding her to her by the waist and resting her forehead next to the girl’s neck. Eventually Alicia brought her hands up to rest on Elyza’s shoulders.

“Ready to go back inside?”

“Darling, I’d go wherever you asked me to,” she grinned into her neck. Alicia rolled her eyes good naturedly.

“Nice to know. Now come on,” she nodded her head towards the house and then started back to the front door, Elyza close behind. _So maybe I’m not completely straight_ she thought to herself. 

As soon as they walked through the door Madison was upon them.

“Elyza-“

“Ms. Clark, I haven’t seen beauty in a very long time and I refuse to apologize. If I should be lucky enough to continue to be in its presence, in any capacity, then I’m not letting anyone take that away. Be they dead or alive.”

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. Those were all personal and if you should want to talk,” she trailed off and Elyza gave a curt nod before heading to the living room, her hand on Alicia’s back the whole way. 

“What was that about?” Alicia asked as they sat down side by side.

“Nothing,” Elyza just shot her a grin. 

“Sorry about my mom.”

“Don’t be, I like her. She’s just looking out for you.”

They sat there on the couch for the rest of the day, sometimes talking sometimes not, but always in contact with one another.

_“Mama, just killed a man. Put a gun against his head. Pulled my trigger, now he’s dead_ ” Elyza walked into the house singing, a bag in each hand, Daniel close behind with hands full as well. They both dropped what they were carrying and walked out, returning with two more bags each. “ _But I’m just a poor boy and nobody loves me. He’s just a poor boy from a poor family, spare him his life from this monstrosity_ ,” she carried on as they sat on the floor surround by bags as all the other occupants watched the two.

“Daaaaan, the man,” Elyza sang out.

“Stop calling me that.”

“Alright the man, Dan,” she was drumming her fingers along to the music in her head until she pulled out her tape player and pressed play. The tape filled the silence between them as they began to empty bags.

“Where did you get all of this?” Daniel asked once they had emptied the bags of guns and ammo.

“Some was taken from soldiers. Even without those though, Americans are obsessed with firearms. You’ve just got to know where to look really. And there were a couple of shops that went untouched. They were a bitch to get into but were goldmines,” she was grinning at her stockpile. “If you’re going to be part of an apocalypse where the dead are coming back to life, there’s no place better than the states.”

From there they started taking inventory, stacking and labeling full boxes of ammo. Two cases of shotgun shells for a total of five hundred shells, 1,863 rounds for the rifles not including what was already in the twelve extra magazines, 912 rounds for a .45 caliber pistol and another 832 for a .22.

“A crossbow?” Daniel held up the item.

“Isn’t it badass?” Elyza’s face lit up in excitement. “It’s just like one my dad use to have.”

“Where did you find a sniper rifle?” He looked suspicious but mildly impressed.

“It was on one of the military trucks.”

“Grenades?”

“Only a few,” she shrugged. “Just in case.” They continued taking count.

302 crossbow bolts, a silencer for both the rifle and pistol, a number of knives with smooth six-to eight inch blades, and a case of signal flares.

“Flares?” he held one up.

“Yeah I fire one off when I clear an area.”

“That was you?” he was surprised. “That’s why we came here. We had assumed whoever set it off had died.”

“Oh I’m glad they work then. I moved into the city when the area was finished.”

“What makes you think you’re doing any better than the guard?”

“What guard? Those pussies are hiding out in bunkers. They killed civilians, were overrun by reapers, and then ran off with their tails between their legs.”

“It’s a suicide mission.”

“Everyone dies,” she just shrugged before moving on to cleaning the guns.

When Alicia and Ofelia walked into the room it was to Elyza and Daniel tying bandanas over their eyes.

“Don’t cheat,” Elyza laughed out, resting her hands on her knees.

“You’re not the one who should be concerned,” Daniel shot back meeting the girl’s posture.

“3…”

“2…”

“1…”

“GO!” they said together, reaching out to the disassembled gun parts lying in front of them. Alicia and Ofelia watched as they both started twisting parts into place. Once finished, Daniel uncovered his eyes and sat with hands crossed for the couple of extra seconds it took for Elyza to finish. Once she was done she lowered her makeshift blindfold and then scowled.

“Damn it.”

“I’ve got a few years experience on you. I’m going to go get something to eat,” he stood and started to leave the room. 

“I bet I can hit an apple off of your head with my knife from twenty paces away,” Elyza quickly caught up to him, throwing a grin over her shoulder to Alicia on her way out.

“They’ve bonded,” Ofelia grimaced.

“What are you doing?” Travis nearly shrieked when he saw his son resting an apple in his outstretched palm and Elyza balancing a knife between her fingers. Daniel was sitting off to the side observing

“No one would put it on their heads,” Elyza shrugged. “Chris was the only one willing to hold it.” Travis wasn’t happy with that answer. 

“Where’s Elyza?” Alicia had just gotten up about ten minutes prior and currently was sitting at the table, eating some dry fruit. It was odd for her not to have seen the girl yet. She usually waited on her to get up before leaving the room. Even when she had left before her, she was usually doing something somewhat questionable that would draw Alicia’s attention almost immediately. When no one answered her she asked again only to have everyone avoid eye contact.

“She said she was going into the city,” Nick finally spoke up.

“Excuse me?” she slowly lowered her hand that was raising food to her mouth. She looked around the table, taking note of the fact that Daniel and Travis were missing as well. Just as she was about to ask if they were with her, the two walked through the door. She pushed her chair back and quickly stood, nearly bumping her legs in her haste. “You guys let her go on her own?” she was yelling now.

“Alicia, calm do-“ her mom started.

“Don’t tell me to calm down! There are seven of us and no one went with her? Why didn’t someone wake me up!” she was shooting daggers at each of them and then stormed off back to her room, slamming the door once she was inside. She then went to the window and waited, hoping the blond would be back soon.

“ _She had the sightless eyes telling me no lies, knocking me out with those American thighs_ ,” Elyza was singing quietly as she walked to the back of the building. She set her supplies down for a moment so that she could jump up and pull the ladder down and then grabbed her stuff so that she could start climbing the fire escape.

“ _I feel like I’ve been blown apart, there are pieces here I don’t know where they go_ ,” she finally reached the roof and approached the edge, pulling out a pair of binoculars. Three visible by the corner store, large group by the supermarket that probably died trying to get food, she looked for all visible threats, taking note of the reapers. She had stopped singing, completely engaged in what she was doing. She took the sniper rifle from her back and set it up on the roof before lying down behind it and shoving ear plugs in. 

She moved forward until her shoulder was flush with the gun and then looked through the sight, locating the reapers by the corner store. She studied the heat coming up off of the pavement for a moment and then adjusted her shot. She pulled the trigger and a bullet went through the reapers shoulder. _Shit_. She quickly adjusted and fired again, sending a bullet straight through its head. Two more followed soon after, dropping the other two reapers. She moved to the group at the supermarket, a group that took much longer to finish.

That’s how she spent the next two hours.

When Elyza finished she removed her earplugs and could immediately hear the groaning of the reapers below. The silencer helped mask her position but a few had apparently found her. When she reached the bottom of the fire escape, Elyza took her bag and rifle off her back and laid her jacket next to them before lowering the ladder. 

The reapers immediately circled around and were reaching for her, their blank eyes never straying from her position. As she climbed down, she felt them attempting to grab her leg and shot out her foot, feeling the bottom of her boot connect with a body. She spins hard on the side of the ladder, kicking as she goes and clearing a space around her. She stumbles as she jumps to the ground and goes into a roll, feeling the gravel cut into her shoulder. She quickly returns to her feet and lunges at the reaper that at the moment is also lunging at her, using her momentum to push her knife into the space between her eyes. She grabbed the next by the back of his next and slammed his face against the brick wall until more of his brain was on the wall than in his skull. With the blood covering her hand she quickly disposed of the last two. After wiping her hands on her shirt, she retrieved her things from the fire escape and then left.

When Elyza finally pulled up, Alicia was still staring out the window. As soon as she saw the black motorcycle pull up she was out of her seat and storming down the stairs. Everyone else quickly retreated as soon as they heard her coming. Elyza was just about to open the door when it was ripped open in font of her

“What the hell?” the blondes eyes went wide, her silence only making the other girl angrier. 

“You,” she poked her in the chest, forcing her back, “don’t” _poke_ “just” _poke_ “leave.”

“I’m sorry,” Elyza still looked bewildered, like she didn’t know what exactly was going on.

“You fucking should be! You could have died Elyza!”

“I didn’t know it was a big deal,” she was nervously fiddling with one of the hoops in her ear. 

“Look Alicia,” she took a shaky breath, “I’ve been on my own for a while, before any of this even started. I’m just trying to survive. Make sure everyone survives,” she finally met Alicia’s eyes.

“Maybe life should be about more than _just_ surviving. Don’t we deserve better than that?” Alicia broke the eye contact first, dropping her eyes to the side.

“Maybe we do,” Alicia looked back up at Elyza. There was a moments pause as Elyza glanced down at Alicia’s lips and then pressed forward. Her hand went to her neck and she slowly connected their lips. The kiss was slow and hesitant and Elyza quickly pulled back, only to have Alicia follow, pulling her bottom lip between her own. It lasted another few seconds before they separated and when Elyza tried to reconnect their lips once more Alicia took a step backwards.

“I’m sorry,” Alicia shook her head. “I’m not-“

“No it’s my fault,” Elyza couldn’t meet her eyes. “I shouldn’t have… I’m just going to go wash up,” she side stepped Alicia and went back into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we are. I hope you enjoyed! I feel like Daniel and Elyza would get along in that, look were tough and get shit done type of way.
> 
> The music is courtesy of Queen, ACDC, and Meril Bainbridge


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elyza Lex has completely taken over my life. I do absolutely nothing at work thanks to her. But I hope my suffering brings everyone else joy. I like some bits of this better than others but here it is.

When Elyza got out of the shower, Alicia was off in another room. _Probably avoiding me_ , she assumed. She quickly grabbed all of her things scattered about and put them into her backpack, moved to the window, and climbed onto the roof.

“ _You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you. You’d be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much. At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I’m alive. You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you_.” Elyza sat on the roof playing the Four Seasons song, basking in the rays of sun warming her skin. She could still feel where Alicia’s lips met her own and closed her eyes as she sang. She really was too good to be true. 

“ _Pardon the way that I stare, there’s nothing else to compare. The sight of you leaves me weak, there are no words left to speak_.” She had found herself staring on many occasions. While the girl read Elyza would watch as her nose would scrunch up or how she would play with the flannel always tied around her waist. She hoped she hadn’t noticed how often Elyza’s eyes would seek her out. “ _But if you feel like I feel, please let me know that it’s real. You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you_.” She thought that maybe she felt the same way, thus why she kissed her, but now she wasn’t sure. Her fingers moved across the strings. She’d give her space. She meant what she said to Madison. She’d take the girl in whichever way she’d let her.

“ _I love you baby and if it’s quite all right, I need you baby to warm the lonely nights. I love you baby, trust in me when I say. Oh pretty baby, don’t bring me down I pray. Oh pretty baby, now that I’ve found you stay and let me love you baby let me love you_.” Her voice lowered as she sang the verse. She didn’t know if she loved Alicia, she hadn’t known her long, but she knew that she could if the girl would let her. She continued playing as her voice tapered off, needing something to do with her hands. 

Had it not been the fact that she hadn’t eaten the day before, Elyza would have stayed on that roof all day. As it was, she was getting tired of the sounds her stomach was making.

“Hey,” she muttered to Alicia as she grabbed an MRE off the counter. “Do you want my raisins? They’re gluten free,” she tantalizingly waved them in the air. “The cookie isn’t but you can have that too if you want,” she glanced over at the girl when she didn’t respond and realized she had her headphones in and her eyes closed. “Right,” she sighed, placed the items on the table in front of her and then walking off to reclaim her spot on the roof. 

Alicia opened her eyes as soon as the girl left the room and groaned. Why did she kiss her? She could’ve just laughed it off if it had just been the first meeting of lips. ‘Oh Elyza’s just being Elyza. Every other sentence is her flirting.’ But no, once Alicia had gotten a taste of the blonde, be it as brief as it was, she wanted more. She had leaned back in without thinking and now, thinking was all she could do. She’d think of how the blonde had laid her hand on her neck, her fingers brushing against the hairs as she pulled her closer. Then she’d think of how Elyza’s blue eyes glanced down at her lips right before she brushed them with her own and her eyes fell closed. How Elyza, rough around the edges Elyza, with the sleeve of tattoos and the combat boots, walker slaying Elyza, had such soft lips that just barely grazed her own. She wouldn’t have expected it to be like that. She would’ve thought Elyza would be a heavy press of lips and clashing teeth, roaming and grasping hands. All fire and passion instead of… comfort. Alicia reddened at the thought. 

And then she started thinking of when Elyza pulled away and how soft her expression looked. Her eyes were still closed and suddenly Alicia was the one moving forward. The taste of the girl’s lips still remained on her own. The more she thought, the less surprised she became at the delicateness she showed. She was an artist. She had never seen inside of the sketchbook but of that she was sure. She was raw and unpolished, but she was still so very gentle. It was in the way she had reassured her before she stitched up the wound on her arm and in how Alicia had nearly broken her nose and she was worried more about not bleeding onto the borrowed shirt. Elyza was in those hidden moments when it was just the two of them. When she had clutched at her waist that day by the truck or when in the dark of night she’d whisper stories into the back of her neck and answer any question asked of her, occasionally singing softly. Every night they would crawl into the bed and Elyza would lay her arm across Alicia and slowly creep forward, neither of them mentioning it past the initial “so there’s enough space for us both,” that Elyza used to explain her actions. Alicia dropped her head to the table and groaned.

_She was such an idiot_.

“Elyza,” Chris called from his spot on the ground only to be ignored. “Hey you’re still alive right? No one’s really seen you all day.”

“No worries mate,” she called out into the night.

“Alright well everyone’s kind of going to bed so…” he trailed off not knowing how to finish the sentence. It wasn’t as if anyone other than Alicia could tell her to do anything, especially not to go to bed. 

“Yeah alright. Night then,” she threw out and Chris left, having nothing else to say. 

She moved to the edge of the roof after a few minutes with her ukulele in hand. She started playing softly, unsure if Alicia was in the room to hear her. 

“ _Angel, oh oh oh oh, knew you were special from the moment I saw you, I saw you, yeah. I said angel, oh oh oh oh. I feel you're closer every time I call you, I call you. Cause all I see are wings, I can see your wings. But I know what I am and the life I live, yeah, the life I live. And even though I sin, we are born to live. But I know time will tell if we’re meant for this, yeah if we’re meant for this_.” She played the ukulele softly, forgoing words and just playing. “ _I said angel, oh oh oh oh I’m so desensitized to feeling these emotions, yeah, no emotions baby_.”

For the next hour she sat at the edge of the roof playing a number of upbeat songs and staring up at the stars, giving Alicia space but trying to her know she was still there and things didn’t have to change.

“Will you get off the roof already?” Daniel yelled up as Elyza finished watching the sunrise. “Before I have to go and find a ladder.”

“Afraid of heights?” she smirked as she approached the edge. Daniel just crossed his arms. “Alright, alright. Catch my things?” At his nod she dropped her bag down and then her ukulele. “Watch out,” he just gave her look so she shrugged and moved over on the roof. She then jumped off, bent her knees as she hit the ground, and went into a roll. “Parkour!” she brushed off her shoulders like she hadn’t just jumped off two stories. As she walked through the door she took her things and set them down.

“You can’t just jump off of the roof,” he was scolding her when they walked into the kitchen. “Eat,” he shoved her into an empty seat with a can of soup in front of it.

“No, _you_ can’t just jump off the roof Dan the Man.” Alicia walked in the room with Ofelia and Elyza shot them both grins before continuing her conversation. “But that’s just because you have fragile bones. Maybe once upon a time when you were still in your prime,” she pat his shoulder consolingly before turning all of her attention to the can in front of her. “Cold chicken noodle, my favorite,” but her face said the exact opposite. She hunched over the can of soup and stared at the broth with disdain. She was just about to voice that disdain when she saw Alicia sitting next to Daniel out of the corner of her eye, leaving the chair next to her to be occupied by Ofelia. She tried not to grimace; suddenly the soup wasn’t the problem. Ofelia was alright but she was no Alicia. She figured she’d just focus her attention on Daniel. 

“I need to make a run today.” Might as well bring it up now when everyone was all serious anyway. Alicia who hadn’t looked at her since she had first entered the room had now snapped her head in Elyza’s direction.

“What?”

“For supplies,” she started drinking from the can, saving the noodles for last.

“We have supplies,” her knuckles were turning white from her grip on the table.

“For now.”

“You just went out yesterday!” Alicia was beginning to raise her voice and Daniel and Ofelia watched as the two went back and forth.

“It was a two day job,” Elyza just shrugged. While Alicia was getting angrier she was able to remain collected. “You asked me to not just leave. This is me not just leaving.”

“I’m coming with you.” Alicia’s voice left little room for argument but that did nothing to deter Elyza.

“Like hell you are,” she scoffed.

“I’ll go with her,” Daniel finally spoke up, trying to ease the younger girl.

“Yeah, because that worked out so well last time,” she was glaring at him.

“Hey,” Elyza raised her voice for the first time in the conversation. “That was on me not him,” she stood from the table. “You’re not going Alicia and I’m not talking about this anymore. If you’re coming be ready in thirty minutes Daniel.” She stalked out of the room.

When she came back, Elyza was outfitted in her same sleeveless shirt that was now stained with reaper blood. She disregarded the jacket, knowing she’d just end up taking it off. She met Daniel in the room they had taken over for weapons and started stocking up. She handed Daniel a pistol before attaching one to her thigh and then they both grabbed a number of knives. “Don’t shoot unless you have no choice,” she handed him an assault rifle. “It should be pretty clear.” She grabbed the crossbow and they both left.

“Stay close,” Elyza hopped into the black truck, all business, while Daniel got behind the wheel of the white one. 

Elyza didn’t know until they got to the supermarket that Alicia had ridden with Daniel.

“Alicia! I thought I was pretty fucking clear,” her face was turning red. “And you,” she turned on Daniel. “You went along with this. Did neither of you hear a word I said?” She ran her hand through her hair and sighed. “Get back in the truck, we’re leaving.”

“We’re already here Elyza,” Alicia refused to move.

“And in five minutes we won’t be.”

“We’ll finish faster with extra hands,” Daniel added and all Elyza could do was glare. 

“Don’t leave my side,” she ordered before walking off, grabbing a grocery cart and entering the store. Alicia followed, bat in hand, as Daniel split off to another part of the store.

They had made it to the canned goods when Alicia broke the silence. “About yesterday,” she started but didn’t get far.

“Yeah it’s not a big deal,” Elyza lied as she grabbed all of the canned peas. “I just got caught up in the moment,” she stocked up on canned tuna. “You know how it is, it’s the middle of the fucking apocalypse,” sardines were added. “Then there’s all the close proximity,” rows of canned fruit were thrown into the cart. “It was just a momentary lapse, won’t happen again. So maybe we can go back to normal and you can quit ignoring me.”

“Elyza-“

“No it’s cool. Had this not brought us together we never would’ve gotten along anyway. Ms. Berkley and me,” Elyza laughed. “Me who hung out on rooftops skipping school and getting in fist fights. We’re just too different. So just forget about it Buttercup, I have.” Elyza continued down the isle, adding things as she went. They then headed to dry goods and stocked up on snacks. Alicia didn’t utter another word.

Elyza heard the groaning before she saw the source. She pulled one of the knives from its spot on her thigh and placed herself between Alicia and the noise. As soon as the reaper rounded the corner a few isles over, she threw the knife and the reaper fell with a thump, attracting the attention of two more. She took a few steps forward as they approached, a knife in each hand and as they grasped onto her she shoved both knives into their ears. She was turning around when she caught sight of Alicia struggling with a fourth reaper. It was opening its mouth to bite her arm when Elyza’s body slammed into it, and forced it away.

When Alicia was brought out of her stupor, she stood up to find Elyza straddling the former man. Her right hand was holding him down by the neck as the other rained down on him. He eventually stopped snapping his teeth but Elyza’s hand continued to connect. Alicia called out to her and got no response. She picked up the bat Alicia had dropped and swung down at the body. After two hits it broke in half with a loud CRACK. 

“Elyza he’s not coming back, it’s over,” she placed her hand on the other girls back. She tensed momentarily and then scrambled off of the man. When she stood Alicia got a quick look at her face and then she was engulfed in her arms. Elyza held her close, one hand clutching at the back of her shirt and pulling her closer, her other at the back of her head, but both shaking. When Daniel got there that was the position they were in.

When they got back to the house Elyza had yet to speak. She only took her eyes off of Alicia when she absolutely had to and in those instances she would reach out to touch her. On the drive back she had slid her hand across the seats so that her fingertips were just barely touching Alicia’s leg. When Madison had run out of the house to engulf Alicia in her arms, Elyza watched from her place a couple of steps away. Then when Madison had turned to her and asked if she was alright, she opened her mouth and almost immediately closed it. She didn’t know if she was okay or not. The question went unanswered as she followed Alicia.

Just as she sat down, her pinky in contact with Alicia’s knee, Daniel asked to speak to her. They left for the kitchen together.

“I’m sorr-“

“Don’t,” she held up a hand. “If anything had happened to her, I would’ve gutted you like a fish. There’d be nothing left to turn.” Her face was steely. “Don’t you dare do something like that again.” She started to walk away but stopped at the table and faced him. “You’re job is to keep Ofelia safe. Mine is to protect Alicia,” she pulled a knife. “I won’t interfere and I expect the same courtesy,” she stuck the knife into the table, several inches of the knife became embedded in the wood. She then walked back to Alicia without another word.

“I don’t think she was bluffing,” Madison was right outside the door when the conversation occurred.

“She doesn’t bluff.”

“Good,” she left the room knowing she had nothing to worry about from the younger blonde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs are Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and Angel by the Weeknd if anyone who didn't know was interested


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a little while. I flew home last weekend and then this week I was super busy with training at work so I didn't get much done. This one's not very long but I wanted to at least get something out

“What are you doing up?” Elyza ignored the question, continuing to pack.

“Elyza.” She ripped the duct tape with her teeth and patched the hole in her jeans. When she turned, the little light in the room reflected off the machete hanging from Elyza’s hip. Her arm hung limply by her side, clutching a pistol. After a beat she placed it in the holster on her thigh and picked a few more things up.

“I’m going out,” she finally faced Madison completely but her eyes refused to meet the older woman’s.

“It’s late. You should get some sleep.”

“I’m not tired and there might be more people out there” Madison placed a hand on her shoulder as she walked past her and was surprised by the severe flinch as she did so. She was even more shocked when Elyza looked up at her with red eyes.

“I can’t,” she took in a shaky breath. “There’s too many,” she looked away again, her hand coming up to run through her hair. “It was too close Madison. They almost,” her voice cracked, filled with emotion. “They could’ve bitten her. I won’t lose her, not like that” she whispered. “How long until they wander back here? She won’t let me go but I can’t just stay. I can’t let it happen again.” It was silent for a moment, Madison studying Elyza and Elyza studying her boots.

“Be back by sunrise or I’m coming to look for you.” Elyza gave a grateful nod and left the room. Madison moved to the window looking out to the street and resigned herself to waiting for the younger girl’s return. She knew she would regret letting her go but also realized there was probably nothing she could have done to stop her. 

Elyza scanned the room to make sure that everything was in place. She had cleared the living room of the abandoned house before pushing the refrigerator from the kitchen into its center. As she walked out of the house she prayed that myth busters was right and then made her way back to where she had parked her bike. 

Picking up a pipe, she listened for the tale-tell sound of groaning. When she didn’t hear anything, she swung the pipe at the light pole and listened again. She couldn’t see well in the dark but she could hear a few groans coming from a few different directions. She hit the pole again and then continued down street, a pipe in one hand and a machete in the other, occasionally slamming the hollow tube against the nearest metal object. 

As she went, more and more reapers were attracted by the sound until eventually she was nearly surrounded. Despite the overwhelming number, she kept on. One of the reapers broke free and got a bit too close for comfort. Elyza ducked under its outstretched arms, swinging the pipe at the back of the man’s knees and the machete into the back of his skull as he fell. She had barely fallen out of step in the altercation.

Glancing at the crowd of walkers, she dashed into the house on the side of the road. As reapers started to flood into the room, she stood calmly next to the refrigerator and pulled an item out of her pocket. She waited until right before the reapers blocked off her escape and then pulled the pin on the grenade, throwing it into the fridge. 

_Four._ She closed the door of the fridge and stepped away, pulling the gun out of the holster on her thigh. 

_Three._ A large reaper towered over her and grabbed her arm. As his mouth opened she placed her gun under his chin and pulled the trigger. His brain was now splattered on her face.

 _Two._ Four reapers stood in the doorway she was trying to escape through. Four bullets got them out of her way.

 _One._ She jumped over the fallen bodies as more came in on the other side of the room. 

_Zero_

The sun was just starting to come up when Madison spotted Elyza. She sighed with relief and went to meet the girl at the front door where the relief quickly vanished.

“What happened?” she surged forward to help the girl into the house.

“It’s fine,” she clutched at her side. “Just help me clean it up.” She made her way to the bathroom as Madison went to fetch the first aid kit and a bottle of alcohol. When Madison walked in Elyza immediately grabbed the alcohol from her, uncapped it, and took a swig. She then proceeded to lift her shirt and pull an object out of her side that Madison couldn’t see. When she threw it in the sink Madison could finally make it out as a piece of metal. She started wiping away the blood on her side and Madison just stood there unsure of what to do to help. “Just for future reference,” she grabbed a bottle of water from under the sink, “the alcohol on a wound thing is a myth. It burns like a bitch and damages skin cells.” She continued cleaning her side until the deep cut was revealed. “I need you to do the stitches,” she held the first aid kit out to Madison who took it with shaking hands. 

“Daniel wou-“ she was quickly cut off.

“No. Please Madison. I don’t,” she huffed. “I can’t trust Daniel. We’ve got different priorities.” She didn’t voice the fact that she trusted Madison nor the fact that they had the same goal.

“Alright.”

When Alicia walked into the living room a few hours later, it was to the sight of her mother and her… Elyza asleep on the couch. She smiled at the thought and then continued into the kitchen. She grabbed a can of pineapples and returned to sit in the chair across from the two blondes. She was drinking the leftover juice when Elyza jerked forward, waking up in the process. Her hand immediately went to the knife on her thigh and Alicia quickly closed the distance between them. 

“Hey,” she took her face in her hands. When she continued to frantically look around the room Alicia pulled her face to look at her own. “Elyza, hey. Look at me. It’s alright.” Blue finally met green.

“Sorry,” her hands started to reach for the hips in front of her before she pulled them back. “Sorry” she repeated again standing up and looking down. She maneuvered around the body in front of her, avoiding contact completely. 

“Madison and Alicia have been looking out the window waiting for you to come in all day?”

“I’ll be in later,” she didn’t look up from the photos in her hand.

“When do you sleep?” Chris was now resting his head on the side of the truck, looking in at Elyza who was intently going through the photos. When she didn’t answer he spoke up again. “I saw you this morning.” That got her attention. “You alright?” He climbed up into the bed of the truck.

“I’m fine mate but look,” she started spinning the hoop in her cartilage, “you can’t tell Alici-"

“Oh no way, she’d kill both you and Madison.” He rested his head on the edge of the truck and was silent for a few moments. “What happened?”

“I blew up a fridge,” she smirked at Chris when his head snapped to her.

“What?”

“I corralled the reapers in a house, put a grenade in the refrigerator, and bolted out of the room. The fridge acted as additional shrapnel and most of them were hit with the blast. Unfortunately a bit got me too. A few stumbled around afterwards since their heads avoided any damage but they had enough metal elsewhere to be slowed down.”

“Thats so fucking badass,” Elyza’s eyes returned to the photos in her hands before she handed them over.

“It’s not. It’s survival. Those were people with lives Chris. How many were good people? Look at those,” Elyza was biting at her hands at this point. “They’re families. Children. Old and young. How many of those people were doctors who could’ve kept some of these people from dying? How many kids may have grown up to cure the infection? They hadn’t even lived life yet Chris. These people had futures. People who cared about them.”

“Elyza-“ Chris sighed.

“Why am I alive and not them Chris?” Her voice lowered even further as she stared down at her hands. “All I know how to do is fuck shit up. The world’s already bad enough isn’t it?”

“Don’t. You… you brought us food. A bunch of strangers who you had just met. Even before that you were helping us. Do you think we would’ve come here had we not seen that flare? Or that we would have found somewhere relatively safe? You saved Alicia. Twice. The fact that you even carry these pictures around Elyza…” he shook his head a couple of times. “You are what this world needs. Maybe you’re not the one who is going to find a cure but how long is it going to take for someone to do that? In the meantime we’re out here drowning while everyone who can help hides away. Everyone but you. YOU saved us Elyza. You saved my family.” After Chris’ declaration they both fell silent, eventually laying down in opposite directions in the bed of the truck.

“You’re alright kid.” Elyza nudged Chris’ shoulder with the toe of her boot.

“Yeah I guess you are too,” Chris laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was looking into grenades and apparently on myth busters they tested to see if putting one inside of a refrigerator would contain the blast. Turns out the fridge is basically turned into a giant frag grenade. Also, it takes about four seconds for one to detonate from the time the pin is pulled.


	8. Chapter 8

“You were pulling fragments out of yourself less than twenty four hours ago,” Madison whispered harshly into the dark room. 

“And now I'm fine,” Elyza continued strapping the vest on, paying the woman no mind. 

“No. Now you're going out with shoddy stitches and no sleep.”

“The stitches are fine,” she didn't bother countering the sleep argument as she loaded her pockets up with gear. 

“You're not going to stop her,” Chris brushed past Madison and up to Elyza. “Here,” he handed her a walkie. “If anything happens lets us know alright?”

“Nothing will happen mate,” she took the walkie talkie from him anyway. 

“But if it does.”

“If it does, don't come out until the sun is up.” 

“That's a bit hypocritical don't you think?” He fired back.

“Chris.” Her knuckles were whitening from her grip on the radio. 

“Not until sunrise,” he gave in with a firm nod. “Come back in one piece yeah? And if you run across a charger do me a favor and bring it back with you. I'm bored out of my mind,” he tried to lighten the heavy air. 

“Of course,” she grinned and then walked backwards out of the door and into the dark of night. 

“Alicia's going to kill us,” Madison mumbled when she was out of sight. 

Elyza couldn't help but think of how much harder all of this was at night. She sat on a roof for an hour searching for reapers with almost nothing to show for it. It was riskier going at it at night, but she figured it was still safer than having to face Alicia. 

“This is turning out to be tough as a bitch,” she muttered into the walkie to Chris on the other side. 

“Is that defeat I hear?”

“Yeah fucking right.”

“Language” Madison’s voice carried over.

“Sorry.” She looked around and sighed. “I'm going dark for a bit. Try to stay off the line unless you need me. I don't want to attract attention.”

“Be careful,” Madison spoke up and then she was met with radio silence. 

They hadn't heard from Elyza in hours and Chris was starting to get antsy. At this point he had taken to pacing behind Madison who was staring out of the window. 

“She should be back by now,” he stopped to look out at the street. “She’d let us know if something happened right?”

“Honestly? I'm not sure.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“What happened?” Madison and Chris asked almost simultaneously when Elyza crossed the threshold.

“It’s nothing, just go grab me a shirt. Long sleeves.” Elyza was tugging at the bottom of her current shirt to hold against the jagged cut on her forearm. She glanced around the corner, making sure the hallway was clear and then hurried to the bathroom.

“What happened this time?” Madison asked as she started pouring water over the wound, realizing she was going to have to become accustomed to a bleeding blonde. 

“I just nicked myself. It looks worse than it is.”

“And It looks pretty bad,” she watched as Elyza wiped the mixture of reaper blood and her own sweat off of her forehead. “You’re going to get yourself killed,” she told the girl as Chris squeezed into the remaining bathroom space with a fresh shirt. She only received a shrug in return as Elyza held a bit of gauze to her arm and secured it with duct tape.

“Thanks,” she muttered as she took the change of clothing from Chris and quickly left the crowded room.

“How is she?” Travis asked his fiancé as soon as she closed the door behind her.

“I don’t know if she thinks she’s invincible or if she’s hoping that she’s not.”

“You’re taking the truck?”

“Yeah, I need the extra space.”

“You didn’t sleep again Elyza.”

“I’m alright Chris. I had a bit of a kip earlier.”

“Let me come with you.”

“Yeah Madison and Travis would love that. Trust me kid, you don’t want to come tonight,” she placed a few empty gas cans in the back of the truck. “Don’t worry, nothing dangerous. I’ll be gone all night but I’ll come back scot free.” She picked up the walkie talkies from inside the truck. She clipped the first to her waist and handed the second one over. “Here. You won’t hear from me but I’ll be there. I'll see you in a bit" she grinned at him and then ruffled his hair while simultaneously pushing him away. 

“I'm two years younger than you, not five,” he grumbled as she drove off, smoothing his hair back down. 

Elyza had spent all night dragging the bodies through the streets. Every couple of blocks was another pile of the decomposing reapers. It wasn’t until her arms were stained red and her muscles screamed in protest did she stop. She only rested for a few moments before grabbing a gas can and the plastic tubing to start phase two; siphoning gas from the discarded vehicles on the side of the road. 

"In peace may you leave this shore  
In love may you find the next  
Safe passage on your travels  
Until our final journey to the ground  
May we meet again"

As she stood on top of the building to the side of the first pile Elyza recited the poem. She had the words memorized since she was twelve but at this point they had become like a brand to her brain. She lit the arrowhead, nocked her arrow, and pulled back. After a deep breath, she released and watched as the arrow flew towards the first pile. As soon as contact was made the reapers went up in flames. She sat on the edge of the roof as the line of fire traveled from pile to pile and a few remaining reapers stumbled out of alleyways at the commotion.  
“Elyza? What happened? Are you alright?” she heard over the walkie hanging from her side. “We can see the smoke from here.” She picked up the small radio with shaking hands.  
“Everything is fine,” she cleared her voice of any emotion. As the remaining walkers walked into the fires, they had arrows shot through their skulls.

In the early morning when Elyza walked back into the house, she shoved a bag into Chris’ arms, and wordlessly headed to the bathroom. Blood that was not her own marred all of her exposed skin. In places it had begun to dry and as she pulled a pack of fags out of her back pocket, she caught sight of how much had become crusted under her nails. She climbed into the tub and after several attempts finally lit the cigarette. She slid down until she was laying at the bottom, wishing that there was running water she could submerge herself in. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine herself under the surface, water filling her lungs and washing everything away. It wasn’t until a hand touched her shoulder that she was ripped out of her vision.

“How are you feeling?” Madison wiped a bit of blood off of her face with a wet washcloth.

“I’m fine,” Elyza took the rag from her hands.

“You’re not.”

“I’ve got to be,” she took a long drag and continued washing up. 

As she sat on the front porch, Alicia couldn’t get her mind to focus on the book she was attempting to read. She would read a sentence or two and then she’d find her eyes looking up to scan the road for any sign of the elusive blonde. It had been hours and she still hadn’t returned. Every day it seemed like she was gone more and more and she couldn’t help but start to worry that she was ready to move on from their small group. It wasn’t as if she needed them. If anything they needed her. Alicia tried to turn her attention back to her book, only reading a paragraph before she looked up again. 

“Where’d you go?” she muttered to herself.

“Looking for blondie?” Alicia startled at the sound of her brother’s voice.

“She’s been out for hours. She said she was just going for a walk.”

“Go get something to eat sis, I’ll go look for her.”

Nick was almost surprised by how easy it was to find the girl. After a few houses he had heard the shattering of glass coming from down the road and when he followed the sound he was brought to a small one story home. When he walked through the front door, he was greeted by the shattered remains of the house’s contents. He walked in further to more destruction until he found Elyza standing in front of a cleared off wall. 

“And I thought I was fucked in the head.” He took in the huge painting. He was ignored as Elyza continued her brush strokes. “I’m a drug addict, what’s your excuse?”

“Fuck off Nick.”

“It’s always the hot ones that turn out to be crazy,” he muttered to himself as he took in the scene. From across the room it was just a collection of disconnected paintings, crowds of people, the city up in flames. As he stepped closer he could see the bodies engulfed in the fire, the screaming faces, and the red hands. “Shit,” he drawled out. Elyza continued to ignore him as she painted the bat she used to hit the reaper that had attacked Alicia. “You’re just as screwed up as I am aren’t you?”

“Yeah I get it, I’m a basket case. Now will you fuck off?” She swiped at the hair that had fallen in her face.

“Alicia’s looking for you,” her hand faltered for a moment but she continued her work.

“Is she okay?” her strokes were coming slower now.

“She’s fine. Worried. Looks like she’s got a reason to be though.”

“Don’t tell her.” She finally turned around.

“Just come on. And put your glasses back on. You look like you’re the druggie.”

When Elyza finally walked into the house, Alicia couldn't help the smile that came to her face.  
“Is that paint?” A grunt. “You're covered,” she laughed as she took the girl in. Her hair had been pulled into a bun at the top of her head but a few pieces had fallen out of place and just about every one of those strands had been touched by various colors. There were a few smudges on her face as well and Alicia found her eyes trailing over the effected areas. Her hairline, above her right eyebrow, her jaw, her neck, and her completely covered hands. “You've got it on your glasses, how is that not bugging you?” she reached up to take the glasses off of her face and was startled when she jerked backwards. 

“Alicia,” she looked over at Nick who was shaking his head at her. Her gaze quickly went back to Elyza who withered under her stare. Never one to be deterred, she reached up again to remove the glasses. 

“You haven't been sleeping,” Elyza wouldn't meet her eyes. “You look like shit,” she sighed as she moved the girls face from side to side. “Let's go and get you something to eat” Her voice lowered as she ran her hand down Elyza’s arm until she grasped her hand within her own, interlocking their fingers and leading her into the kitchen. She'd deal with one problem at a time. Getting Elyza to do anything was going to take all the energy she could muster. 

“When was the last time that you slept?” Alicia tucked her feet between the seat of the chair and Elyza’s legs as she watched the other girl push her food around.

“I’ve rested here and there,” her attention remained on her food, pushing it about more than actually eating it.

“Elyza,” her tone was clipped and she clearly wasn’t taking any bullshit. She rested her chin on her knees and waited for the other girl.

“A few days ago.” She stabbed at the dehydrated meat in front of her.

Alicia stayed silent after the admittance, hugging her legs to her body and watching Elyza through her lashes.

“You know,” she picked up a marker that was lying on the table. “I’m quite the artist myself.”

Elyza smiled a bit before looking over to her, raising an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Oh yeah,” she uncapped the marker with her teeth and held it between her lips as she tapped the back of the writing utensil against the wood of the table. After a brief pause she pressed the tip of the marker to the table. When Elyza tried to peek over she quickly blocked her view with her other hand. “No peeking,” she smiled. Elyza obliged and sat back in her chair, using the time to study the girl doodling instead. She had discarded the cap from between her lips and was now occasionally worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as her brows furrowed in focus. She watched the line of her neck when she tilted her head to the side to take in her own work and then the way her jaw clenched when she nodded in satisfaction to herself. She blew the bit of hair that had brushed against her nose out of the way and then looked up at Elyza who was now smiling softly at her.

“Ready?” When she received a nod she removed her hands to unveil her work.

“Wow,” Elyza’s eyes widened a bit. “That’s-“

“You can say awful,” Alicia laughed.

“What is it?” Elyza practically whispered, trying not to be harsh. 

“It’s supposed to be you,” Alicia smiled as Elyza tilted her head one way and then the other.

“Yeah okay I can see it,” she lied. “I wouldn’t say it’s awful it’s just… whimsical. Abstract really,” she looked up at Alicia. “You’re practically Picasso. Or Pollock. It’s like a controlled accident.”

“Alright, alright I get it. So maybe I’m not an artist. That was more Matt’s forte.”

“Matt?” And there it was, the subject Alicia had been avoiding since this whole thing started.

“He’s my, was my boyfriend,” she traced over the healed mark on her forearm. Her attempt at a tattoo hadn’t really worked out.

“He was bitten,” Alicia nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“It feels like it was a long time ago.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier,” Elyza traced the words on her arm and then took the marker from Alicia. When Alicia went to look at what she was doing, her view was blocked by the blonde hunching over the table. “No peeking,” she repeated the earlier statement. “It's my turn.”

“You should really get some sleep,” Alicia was running her hand up and down Elyza’s back, trying to convince her once again to get some rest, when Madison and Travis walked into the room.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled from where she was still writing on the table, her head resting on the top. In her right hand she was holding Alicia's unoccupied one and occasionally tilting it from side to side. Her left was attempting to capture every line on the surface in front of her. 

“You’re going to crash,” Madison spoke up. Elyza ignored her input but dropped Alicia’s hand, returning to her apparently unfinished sketch of an upturned car

“What’s wrong?” she leaned closer and whispered into the girl’s side.

“I’m fine,” there was a puddle pooling around the vehicle. Elyza started scratching at her arm over the sleeve of her shirt.

“You’re not.”

“I’ve got to be,” she was scratching a bit more intensely now.

“You don’t,” Travis stepped forward and stopped the movement of her arm.

“I don’t want to close my eyes,” she turned her head so that she was facing Alicia and whispered low so only she could hear. “It’s too much. If I’m tired enough I won’t have to see it.” Her eyes finally met Alicia’s.

“You don’t have to sleep, just rest. You’re going to run yourself ragged.” She wrapped her hand up in the fabric of Elyza’s shirt and pulled her after her. “You didn’t take a bat to the side for the exhaustion to be what takes you out,” she smiled softly as they headed for somewhere quiet.

Alicia was holding a book in one hand and running the other through blonde hair absentmindedly while she read. Despite her hopes, she hadn’t really expected the girl to actually fall asleep. When they first sat down she had pushed up the sleeve on her left arm and spent about an hour coloring in the lines of her tattoo with discarded markers. Eventually her arm was filled in and a few more temporary pieces were added. At that point she threw her legs over the side of the couch and when she laid her head in Alicia’s lap with a sigh, Alicia just kept reading her book. After a few minutes she found herself twirling blonde strands which graduated to lightly scratching the girl’s scalp and in no time she had succumbed to sleep. Now she was stuck, not really minding it in the slightest, glad Elyza was finally sleeping but afraid that if she moved too much she would wake back up. 

“Where’d you find this charger Ely-“ Alicia raised the hand holding her book in the air, silencing Chris as he walked into the room side by side with Ofelia. He was carrying his video camera in one hand and a manual for a solar powered charger in the other while Ofelia was lugging bits and pieces of electronics. As soon as they had rounded the couch completely the older woman was smiling at her and Chris was looking at her in surprise.

“Well don’t you two look cozy?” Ofelia dropped everything onto the table and sat in the chair opposite them. Alicia just ignored her and continued reading her book.

“How’d you get her to sleep?” Chris whispered as he sat down on the floor by the table. Alicia shrugged but took her attention off of what she was reading. She let her gaze land on the blonde. She looked younger now as she hugged Alicia’s legs to her, softer. She was always smirking or scowling but now she just looked at peace and Alicia found herself wondering if she was ever like this before the outbreak. If she would spend the day locked away in a studio until long after the sun had gone down only to emerge covered in paint or charcoal. Would she have turned out to be a painter? A tattoo artist? A musician? Alicia smoothed a bit of hair out of her face, wishing she knew more about her.

“I’ve been bugging her to sleep for two days now,” Alicia looked up at Chris when he started talking. “Guess she only listens to you,” he smiled at her and then looked down at the manual in his hands. She gave a small smile back and placed her book down, tilting her head back to rest against the back of the couch and allowing her eyes to close as well.

_The car was parked in the middle of the road and from her spot a block away she could just make out the couple inside. She gripped the bat in her hand tighter as she approached, the smell of gasoline filling her nostrils._

_“Mom? Dad?” The couple was looking straight out of the busted windshield. She rapped on the dented driver’s side door to get their attention and when they turned to her she took a startled step backwards. They looked exactly as they did that night, blood dripping from their heads, limbs turned at odd angles. Only this time their lifeless eyes were attached to bodies in motion. Reapers. Their mouths opened unnaturally wide and they were snapping their teeth at her, kept in place by the seatbelts strapping them in._

_Next thing she knew she was setting the car ablaze and watching as her parents’ bodies caught on fire. The smoke filled the air and she felt her eyes burning as she fought to keep them open. When the air started to clear she could just make out Bethany._

_“Doc?” She got no answer as she made her way through the remaining haze. “Doc come on.” She finally took a step towards her but stopped before reaching her position._

_“Why come with you? What's the point? I'm better off dead.” She didn't know where the gun came from but when the woman pulled the trigger the doctor’s death was even more gruesome than she remembered. She stumbled back as she felt the blood splatter against her face. She was falling when she felt arms wrap around and steady her._

_When she spun around she was greeted by Alicia's bright eyes. She was smiling at her and reaching for her hands. Once she had them she intertwined their fingers and stepped even closer. They stood there looking at each other for a moment before Alicia brought Elyza’s hands to rest on her hips and wrapped her own around the blonde’s neck._

_“Just give up Elyza,” she whispered into her ear. “Before you get someone else killed.”_

_Elyza opened her mouth, intending to step away. Instead, she felt her hands grip Alicia tightly and pull her closer. Her jaw felt like it had become unhinged as she dug her teeth into the girl’s shoulder. When she pulled away Alicia’s green eyes had turned dull and her tan complexion had grayed._

_“Alicia,” she brought her hands up to her face. “Alicia I’m so sorry. I didn’t,” she brushed the hair out of her eyes, searching for any hint of the familiar green. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Alicia’s mouth opened and Elyza dropped her hands. “I didn’t mean to turn you into this,” her head fell as she waited for the inevitable bite to come._

Elyza shifting is what eventually woke Alicia back up. She took in that the others had left the room as she reached down to brush the hair out of Elyza’s face and tried to calm her. She stilled momentarily but then her movement was replaced by her muttering. Alicia found herself leaning forward to hear the words, trying to decide if she should wake the blond or not. Suddenly Elyza was surging forward and she moved just in time to avoid a collision of heads.Elyza was on her feet instantly, swaying slightly, and Alicia reached out a hand to steady her. As soon as she made contact the other girl jerked away and Alicia rose to her feet as well.

“What happened?” Alicia crossed her arms in front of her timidly, not sure how to help.

“I” Elyza took in a shaky breath. “The doctor and then…” she finally looked up to meet Alicia’s stare, meeting the green that had disappeared in her dream. She started to take a step forward before changing her course and taking several back. She couldn’t bare to be the cause of the change. “I’m so sorry,” she shook her head, eyes wide and filled with fear, something that Alicia had never seen. “I’m so sorry Alicia,” her voice cracked when she spoke the name. Before she could respond Elyza was out of the room and then out of the house. It was the slamming of the front door that had her moving again.

“Elyza!” she yelled as she rushed out of the house, trying to avoid various items. A harsh “Damn it” fell from her lips as she kicked something out of the way. By the time she made it outside, Elyza was throwing a leg over her bike. “Elyza,” her yell was drowned out by the noise of the bike starting. She started towards her but before she could take more than three steps, she was pulling off from the sidewalk. She began to run after her but she quickly gained speed and was out of sight. Switching directions, Alicia burst back through the front door, ignoring the looks she was getting from the house’s other occupants. She went to the kitchen and when she didn’t see what she was looking for she started ripping open drawers, digging through their contents, most of which ended up on the ground.

“Where the hell are the keys?” she yelled at Travis when he and her mother entered the room, not stopping her frantic search.

“What happened?” her brother asked when he entered the room.

“She’s gone. She was freaking out and she just left. We’ve got to go find her,” she was out of the room and searching for the keys as soon as she realized that they weren’t in the kitchen. At her declaration Chris ran to the window and looked out to find the black bike gone. 

“Did she say anything?” He found Alicia digging through the drawers by the front door.

“Something about a doctor and that she was sorry,” she mumbled reaching into the pockets of the pile of jackets discarded on the floor.

“A doctor?” She turned at the sound of her mother’s voice. Before she could question her Chris spoke up again.

“Do you have any idea where she went?”

“If I knew where she went I wouldn’t be saying we need to find her” was her sarcastic reply.

“You always have the keys. Where are they?” Chris turned to his dad calmly.

“Guys-“

“It’s going to be dark soon, we’ve got to find her,” Travis just shook his head.

“Elyza can take care of herself.”

“She shouldn’t have to!” Chris finally yelled, Alicia coming to stand next to him. “Madison,” Chris turned to look at her and the two had a short stare down before she shook her head no.

“She left all of her things, she’ll be back. If she’s not by tomorrow evening we’ll think about where she could be. She just needs space.” Alicia didn’t miss the refusal to commit on actually finding the blonde.

“Even if I have to walk, I’m going to find her.” She shoved past the two, thinking of how the hell she’d manage to locate Elyza.

It had just turned dark when Elyza brought her bike to a halt. She hadn’t really thought out where she would go when she left the others, just that she had to get away. That’s how she found herself exactly where she had been the previous night. The pile of bodies was gone and in its place was the scorched pavement that had laid beneath. Her feet brought her to the center of the largest burn on their own accord and she dropped to her knees, ignoring the pain of hitting the ground. She laid her hands down to touch the remaining ashes that had yet to blow away in the wind. When her fingertips made contact she let out an anguished yell, unafraid of attracting reapers.

_Why be afraid? They’re not grim reapers, I am._

She wiped at the tears that had begun to fall, smearing the ashes around her eyes like warpaint in the process. Death was everywhere. She was surrounded by a permanent haze and the smell of burning reapers remained. But here she was.

**_The Commander of Death_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is. I hope you guys enjoyed it. But you know, if you didn't let me know and I'll do my best to improve! 
> 
>  


	9. Chapter 9

Chris watched from the doorway as Alicia ran her hands along the black leather jacket, unsure if he should enter the room or not. He had just made up his mind to come back when she pulled the jacket on and turned to face him. She was momentarily startled but quickly recovered.

“Are you just going to stand there or…” she trailed off, burying her hands into the jacket pockets. She pulled them out with a dry chuckle, clutching at lollipops that had taken up all of the space inside. Her chuckle quickly turned into something else as she dropped onto the bed and buried her face into the collar of the coat. Chris closed the door and came to sit next to her, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

“We’ll find her Alicia. We’ve got to.” He felt her head come to rest on his back and sighed.

“I’m going to look through her things, see if I can figure out where she might be.”

“I’ll find a car. Elyza tried to show me how to hot wire one. I was awful at it but I’ve got a bit more motivation now. We’ll go first thing in the morning. When we find her she’d kill us if we went into the city at night.” He didn’t give himself room to doubt that they would find her but he couldn’t help the thoughts of what condition she’d be in. He stood up and stopped at the door, hand on the knob and facing away from Alicia. “It’s Elyza, she’ll be alright,” he was trying to convince himself just as much as Alicia. With that he left, closing the door behind him and allowing Alicia the privacy to start sifting through Elyza’s bag.

Sitting down on the floor, out of sight of anyone who might walk in, she hesitated in opening the bag. She had never seen the contents and was sure that Elyza had done that purposefully. This bag was smaller than all of her others, a black backpack that she was often seen pulling a sketchbook or cassette player from. She only hesitated for a moment longer before pulling the bag into her lap and opening it.

She was a bit surprised at the lack of any practical items. She had expected to pull out at least one knife or gun but didn’t see any weapons and started cautiously pulling things out item by item, unsure what would be inside.

The first thing she pulled out was a pack of Big Red gum. She smiled as she remembered the slight taste of cinnamon. She placed it on the floor next to her and it was quickly followed by a case of pencils and several MP3 players that had Alicia wondering where they came from.

When the majority of smaller objects were removed, a stack of photos was revealed that Alicia immediately started to shuffle through. She kept flipping; waiting to find one with the blonde but when she got to the end of the stack there hadn’t been a single one. She went back to the beginning, starting again and inspecting each more carefully. As she turned the first picture, she noticed the writing on the back that she had previously missed.

_Katie Jameson and Family. March 3rd 2012. AD._

She flipped to the next photo and immediately turned it over.

_Todd Hamilton and ? March 3rd 2012. AD._

She kept flipping through. Some photos had names or occupations while others remained blank.

_Tanya Moore and Students. Teacher. March 3rd 2012. AD._

_Miles Daniels. March 3rd. 2012. AD._

_Shawn Stevens and ?. Student. March 3rd 2012. AD._

_Corporal Ramirez and Wife. National Guard. March 3rd 2012. AD._

_Jess, Jake, and Julie Turner. March 4th 2012. All R_ and in the bottom corner was written _37, 18, 11_

This photo was creased more than the previous ones, corners bent as if Elyza looked at this one more often than the others. She flipped it back over to look at the faces on the front. The woman stood with her two children, smiling into the camera, arms around each, head resting on her son’s shoulder as she pulled her daughter closer. They were all mid laugh as the waves behind them crashed into their legs. The girl couldn’t have been any older than twelve and the boy was around her age. She flipped the photo back over and looked at the small numbers in the corner again. Ages.

As she kept flipping, she searched the back of each photo. Dates spanned for months, some days having been skipped, some had very few, and some seemed endless. As she continued she noticed more R’s and question marks. She tried to ignore the smears of blood on the photos, ignore the question of if it was Elyza’s and if she was still alright wherever she was. 

When she finished, Alicia set the photos aside carefully, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. That wasn’t going to help her find the blonde at all. All it did was leave her with more questions. Who were they and how did Elyza know them? She rubbed at the bridge of her nose, feeling the headache starting to form. Then, after stopping to light the candles she kept next to her bed, she got back to work.

Opening Elyza’s sketchbook, Alicia was immediately blown away. On the first page sat the most realistic picture she had ever seen. It was as if the forest had been printed directly on the page. She ran her fingers along the various hues. So this was how Elyza saw things. There was so much color everywhere. For someone who was usually outfitted in shades of gray, there was almost none of that here. She let her eyes roam the page for a few more moments before she let them drift over to the pocket taped to the back of the cover. Reaching inside she pulled two photos and couldn’t hold back the laugh. How very Australian.

Wrapped around who Alicia assumed to be her mother’s leg, was a young Elyza who sat nose to nose with a koala that was wrapped around the other. Behind the woman stood a man with warm smile and a hand intertwined with his wife’s. Both were staring down at little Elyza. She smiled at the photo one more time before turning to the next.

Turns out that Elyza in her early teen years was a lot less intimidating than Elyza now. Gone were the numerous tattoos and leather jacket and in their place were her still awkward limbs and bruised arms. She guessed some things hadn’t really changed all that much she thought as she looked at her scraped up knees. On her back she was carrying a brunette who looked to be a year or two older and had big brown eyes. She was fiddling with wires, paying no attention to the scowl the girl lugging her around was aiming at her. Next to them stood a slightly younger girl, hair decorated with the occasional small braid, animatedly chatting away. Alicia only took them in for a second before returning to the blonde. She could just make out the scar on her hairline around the wires dangling in her face. There was a bandage on her chin that Alicia assumed to be the cause of her scar and she placed her at just having turned thirteen.

It was an odd sensation having these two photos of Elyza. She had never allowed herself to think about what she was like before, as someone who hadn’t always been this walker slaying soldier. Sure she had seen glimpses in the way her fingers would run across the strings of her ukulele or how she would lay on the roof and look out at the stars. But nothing to this extent.  
‘ _Or maybe I was just blind,_ ’ she thought to herself.

Elyza had come to hate the sound of silence. She never thought she would see the day that she asked for the sound of groans but it turns out that the only time she wasn’t thinking about the reapers was when she was fighting them. Once the adrenaline took over she was able to forget about the people that they once were, about those still left that missed them or wondered where they were, about if it was painful when they turned or if any part of them still remained inside. She supposed that would be the worst part, being aware of what they were doing but unable to stop it, watching as they turned their loved ones and as the light left them.

That’s why she had to leave. She couldn’t stop fighting, couldn’t take the chance that reapers would wander back to their safe house and catch them unaware. And if there were still people out there she had to do her part. She had been fighting things since her parents died, at least now she had something to fight for. For those who couldn’t do so for themselves. For those who were still undamaged. For Alicia.

And should she herself get bitten? There was no telling how quickly the change would occur. No guarantee that she’d be able to kill her brain before it took hold. When it did, what if Alicia was there? Or if she became her first victim? Or a victim at a later time? If her brain was still alive was she as well? Would she have to watch as she did it? Would Alicia look at her, green eyes wide with fear, and beg her not to? The image flashed through her head. Her teeth ripping at Alicia’s flesh, the sound of her choking on her blood as Elyza did nothing to help. She’d look at her in terror until her eyes slowly emptied of their former warmth. She would writhe in pain the whole time, going slack before reanimating as a completely new person. Trapped in her own head as well. Even the thought caused Elyza’s heart to clench. _**No.**_

She’d find a way to end her life permanently when it came to that. She commanded death, not the other way around.

“Did you find anything Alicia?” Chris opened the door cautiously when his knock went unanswered. When Alicia didn’t respond to the question he closed the door behind him and walked in further. “Alicia?” he rounded the bed so that he could see her. When she was in his line of sight, he watched as she reverently ran her fingers over the pages of the book in front of her.

“They’re so… how did I not see that she was hurting?” She asked herself more than Chris. She turned the page and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Her sleeping profile took up the majority of the page and the rest was her hair wildly tumbling in every direction.

“She didn’t want you to,” he shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what else to say.

“I still should’ve known.” She turned the page again. “She’s always been there,” Alicia thought back to the photos she had seen; Los Angeles up in flames, the Hollywood sign falling down in the background, bodies littering the streets, the family from the wrinkled photo, one in the same position as the picture but with the dead features of walkers and one where they lay dead in an abandoned house, wounds to the head. She thought to the detailed drawing of the very same compound her family had been locked up in, of what it looked like when it was overrun by walkers, and of the halls of the hospital. She thought of red hands and falling doctors. “And I just… I should’ve seen it. Now she’s gone.”

“We’ll find her Alicia,” he tried to reassure her. “Have you found anything?” Alicia shook her head. 

“She draws what she’s seen but nothing about where she’d go.”

“What was the last thing she drew? Maybe we can start there.” Chris went to sit on the bed as Alicia quickly flipped to the last used page. They both stilled as they studied the page and the burning bodies. While many of the previous pages had become nearly all black and white, this one reverted to the vividness of the first in the book but the subject had drastically changed. The detail now depicted burning and dripping skin, deep red blood, and lifeless eyes. Dark smoke billowed from the piles and they could both see the different walkways of blood from where the bodies had been drug across the streets of the city. 

“This is by the supermarket we went to,” she spoke quietly, her voice nearly breaking as she pointed to the store in the background, just visible behind the flames. 

“Do you remember how to get there?” He received nothing but a nod in return.

Elyza put her elbow through the small bathroom window, ignoring the sound of it shattering and the shards that cut at her flesh. She swept away the rest with the palm of her hand before pulling herself up and through the hole, landing on the tile with a soft thud.

_"I'm gonna pick up the pieces and build a lego house. If things go wrong we can knock it down. My three words have two meanings but there's one thing on my mind. It's all for you"_

She sang softly as she walked through the dark garage, torch lazily shining light along her path. Images flashed through her mind from long before the start of the apocalypse; her father coming home covered in grease and chasing her mother around the house, a friend from much later coming home in the same state and being yelled at for the mess she would inevitably make. She thought of the countless times in her later years that three of them would sit together taking things apart. She was hardly ever able to put them back together. She scoffed at the thought as she picked up a part for her bike.

‘ _Of course I wasn’t. Destruction was always more my forte_.’

She remembered the blood starting to pool around one of her friends and her body slamming into an older boy’s. Since that day she had never been able to recall what had happened between the initial impact of bodies and when she had been pulled off screaming. At the memory, Elyza cocked her arm back and chucked the part in her hand out of anger. There’s a loud tumble of noise as it connects with the objects across the room. She’s breathing heavily, her hands on her head when the groaning enters the room. She shines her light in the direction of the sound and waits for the body connected to make its way out of the shadows. Eventually a broad man emerged, snapping his teeth. She stood still, not moving an inch as she was approached.

“Are you in there?” she asked when the man was just two paces away. He took a step and tried to grab her, a move which she quickly sidestepped. “David?” she asked, reading the name on the blue jumpsuit. She tried a few more times but when he wouldn’t stop, she pulled her knife from its place on her leg. “I’m sorry,” she muttered right before it was shoved through his eye.

She thought back to that day. She had been pulled away with a cut above her eye and a couple of broken fingers. Her friend may have never walked again. The boy? He was unconscious when she was driven away and seeing as she had so much blood on her hands now, she hoped his was mixed in. That was the last day she had seen any of them.

Madison opened the door to the room her daughter was staying in, unsure if she’d still be awake or not. When she walked all the way in, she found Alicia curled up in the armchair wrapped up in the black leather jacket that was easily identifiable as the blonde’s.

She sighed as she pulled the blanket off of the bed and placed it on her youngest. She hoped Elyza would come back soon. She knew she wouldn’t want them to come look for her, wouldn’t want Alicia to come look for her. She had made it clear the lengths that she would go to protect her. It was obvious though that all Alicia really wanted was for the blonde to return.

She should’ve seen it coming. She knew it was only a matter of time before something happened. The signs were all there. The drawings were a clear indication that she had seen too much. Coupled with the increasing lack of self preservation, Madison was berating herself for not trying harder to get her to talk. 

Chris ripped open the drawer of the desk and pulled out the black and orange walkie talkie, kicking himself for not thinking to use it sooner. He left the room that he shared with Nick and locked himself in the bathroom. He sat on the toilet lid and fiddled with the buttons before speaking into it.

“Elyza?” he paused for a moment hoping that she would answer. “Come on Lex, you’ve got to come back. If you’re there,” he sighed, “if you’re there you should know that whatever you’re thinking, don’t. Whatever is wrong will be okay. I’m sorry I didn’t see it. We need you Elyza. Alicia needs you.”

Daniel pulled the magazine out of the gun, checking to make sure that it was full and then returned it. He placed two spare ones in one of the belts Elyza left empty and stuffed a handful of additional bullets into the last pocket. He laid both items down on the table next to the large hunting knife. He was going to find the girl. He owed her. And if he was being honest, he liked her too. 

Watching as his fiancé paced the room, Travis was unsure of what to do. On one hand, he knew that Elyza could take care of herself. These were times in which he couldn’t risk his family for one girl who had willingly left. On the other hand, he knew Elyza would do the same for any of them, even him who had never truly interacted with her. He was the one who had originally told Madison to give her a shot and now she had wormed her way into the family. Madison always kept a worried eye on her, even when she was unaware of doing so, Chris had clearly taken a liking to her, hanging on to just about every word she said, and Alicia would unknowingly seek her out whenever she entered a room. She was drawn to the blonde and it was clear to everyone but her. The only one he was unsure of was Nick and even he had displayed some sort of interest. In no time at all she had crept up on them and had become a crucial part of their misshapen group. A part that left everyone shaken once gone.

She knew she made a lot of jokes about it, but Ofelia really did think that Elyza was good for Alicia. She had come to look at the girl as a friend and realized that there was no one who would look after Alicia the way that Elyza did. With everything that had happened and how suddenly things had gone bad, things were overlooked. The weeks between leaving LA and meeting Elyza had been dreary. Everyone had been worried about Chris and how he was dealing with loosing his mother or Nick and his detox. Alicia was so good at hiding the pain that it went ignored. Then Elyza shows up and suddenly she’s more than just some sarcastic teenager living through an apocalypse. Suddenly she’s someone who smiles. Ofelia hopes that Elyza comes back soon before that’s gone for good. 

As soon as she left Nick started to regret calling Elyza crazy. Maybe she was or maybe she wasn’t, he wasn’t really sure but who was _he_ to judge? It had been years since his drug use went from recreational to an addiction and he knew that it had been a lot on Alicia. He had promised her time and time again and time and time again he let her down. Now he was the possible reason that Elyza had left and he wasn’t quite sure how to make that okay. Once again he had hurt Alicia. He was her big brother and suppose to protect her, not cause more pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is. I thought it would be cool to see what everyone else thinks of Elyza too. I'm trying to decide if I want to bring any other characters from the 100 over but I can't really decide. I don't think it would be for a little while so we'll see I suppose. Let me know what you think! Both in regards to other characters and in general. I love any and all feedback!


	10. Chapter 10

“There’s a truck a couple of houses down” Chris offered up when he walked into Alicia’s room the next morning. It had been light outside for less than an hour. They had been up for two. Alicia pulled her hair back as she turned to face the door.

“That’s too big. It’ll take ages to make our way through the abandoned cars.” She pulled the leather jacket onto her shoulders. “It’s why Elyza usually rides her bike.”

“Last time I checked neither of us knew how to drive a motorcycle.” Alicia rolled her eyes.

“Doesn’t mean we have to take the biggest thing that you can find,” she snapped at him. It was silent for a moment and then she sighed. “Sorry. It’s just-“

“I know,” he cut her off, running his hand through the hair that had fallen into his face. “There’s a Mini that’s not too far.”

“Perfect. Come on,” she led him out of the room and down to the makeshift munitions room. “Keep watch” he was left at the entryway of the room as Alicia walked over to where the guns were laid out. She grabbed two and a box of ammo and then shuffled to the knives. 

“Morning Dad,” Chris’ voice rang out and she quickly stuffed the supplies deep into her backpack. Before she could turn to leave, Travis’ spoke from directly behind her. 

“What are you doing in here?” Even without turning around she could hear the suspicion in his voice. She sent a glare over her shoulder before reaching out to grab something from the table.

“Elyza left her cassette player in here,” she turned to face him and her mom who had come to stand in the doorway at some point.

“Where are you going?” she raised her eyebrow and nodded to the backpack. Suddenly Alicia was reminded of where she got that particular look from.

“I didn’t realize we had resorted to interrogations,” she rolled her eyes, attempting to avoid the question.

“Alicia.” Her mom wasn’t having it.

“We’re just checking the other houses for something to do. Elyza already cleared them.” Chris spoke up as Alicia opened her bag.

“It’s just my book. Can we go now?” At Madison’s nod, Alicia pushed past the adults and to Chris’ side. When they were out of earshot both released the breaths they were holding in. They left the house before any more questions could be asked.

With the sound of the front door closing, Travis and Madison quickly surveyed the room. Travis picked up his shotgun from where it was leaning against the wall in the corner of the room while Madison took one of the handguns and the bat that not too long ago Alicia had hit Elyza with. As she lifted it she laughed to herself a bit. ‘Maybe we do have a thing for bats.’ Travis glanced at her before picking up a machete.

“Ready?” She nodded in return and the two quickly left before anyone saw them. Climbing into the white truck, they were out of the neighborhood in no time.

When Nick woke to find the house completely silent, he quickly pulled on the pants he had thrown onto the end of the bed. After creeping down the stairs he was surprised to find Ofelia with an assault rifle strapped to her back.

“Woah,” he muttered when he almost ran into her. Her eyes went wide as she attempted to stutter out an explanation. “Apparently women with guns is my thing,” he didn’t take his eyes off of her as he entered the room she had just emerged from. “You’re not quite as scary as Elyza is though. You should work on that. You are a Salazar after all.” He ran his hand across the guns laying out, stopping at a rifle that matched Ofelia’s. “I thought we had more,” he shrugged as he picked up the rifle. “Speaking of Elyza, I assume you’re going out to look for her?” He picked up a small knife, fiddling with it as he came to stand next to the woman. “Hope you don’t mind a bit of company. I found keys to a jeep.”

Her earlier nap kept Elyza up for the rest of the night, fiddling with hidden objects she found in the shop. By the time the sun shone through the windows, she sat at the table playing Five-Finger-Fillet, already forgetting what it was like before she had met the Clark/Manawa/Salazar group, what it was like to spend her days alone. With a sigh she tossed her knife to the side after she nicked her ring finger. Leaning back in her chair she watched as the light streamed into the room, particles of dust dancing in each beam. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. Suddenly she was eleven years old again and jumping off of the couch, her wide smile concealed by the astronaut helmet she had gotten for her last birthday. As soon as she landed she took off out of the room, her mother hot on her heels, blonde hair trailing freely behind her.

Now she was twelve, her head sticking out of the window, hair whipping into her face as she stared up in awe at the conservatory in the distance. Occasionally she’d pull her head back in to supply one of her most recent space facts but she’d always stick it back out so she could get a clear view of the large building on the horizon.

It was a few days before her thirteenth birthday and she refused to speak to anyone. She sat in the corner, tapping a pencil against her leg, when a boy a couple years older approached her. He kicked at the her boot and when she didn’t look up he did so again a bit harder.

_“That’s a nice watch you got there,” she finally looked up at the shaggy haired teen, shooting him a glare. He reached down and pulled her up but before she could shove him off, someone did so for her._

_“Back off Rav.” The stranger pushed him back and watched as he left the room. Finally she and her companion turned to face her._

_“I could have taken him,” she grumbled, meeting the brown eyes and then a pair of dark green, refusing to back down._

_“Now you don’t have to,” the younger girl grinned._

She had been thirteen for a few hours and Lindsay was pulling stray glass out of her shoulder as she craned her head to watch her work. Marie sat against the locked door, listening for any sign of movement on the other side.

_“I could’ve taken it,” Lindsay shoved her head so she was looking forward again._

_“Now you don’t have to.” Elyza had let a small smile pass her lips that turned into a grimace as Lindsay pulled at another shard. She stared at the light filtering through the window as Marie chattered on about something or other and Lindsay continued wiping at blood and pulling out glass, watching as the dust danced._

Elyza opened her eyes back up and she smiled to herself at the practically microscopic particles. If she squinted and tilted her head just right, she could almost see the girls dancing around in the empty space. She got to her feet and wandered to the garage door, broke the padlock on the bottom. and with a quick tug was opening it and flooding the room with the California sun. As she walked down the road to fetch her bike she tried to ignore just how desolate the streets looked in the light of day. Instead she tried to focus on how much Lindsay would love to be the one working on it back in the garage. On how she would have gotten along well with her father and how Marie's free spirit would have loved Australia. How Chris would have liked to meet them and how they all would have loved Alicia. How Marie would have teased her relentlessly.

She wandered over to where she placed the stereo and iPod she had found and pressed play, turning the music up as loud as she could. She pushed her sleeves up and sat by her bike. She’d drown out the sound of the world falling to pieces as she worked, pretend that everything wasn’t shit.

Nick and Ofelia probably had the least to go on in their attempt to find Elyza. While Alicia and Chris had Elyza’s sketchbook, Madison and Travis were following her guess as to where the smoke had come from a couple of nights ago. Daniel was the only one as ill equipped as they were but he surely had other skill sets that would come to his aid. Ofelia was driving around aimlessly as Nick tapped his fingers along to a beat that only he could hear. 

“Where would you go?” Ofelia glanced at him briefly before turning her eyes back towards the road. There were a lot less cars than she had expected but she still wanted to be vigilant.

“Me?”

“Yeah. You two have the same survivor’s mentality. If it was you, where would you go?” Ofelia repeated herself and Nick shook his head.

“We don’t. I wouldn’t have left. It just doesn’t make sense. We have food, water, and shelter. All the necessities and a bit more. Should that change we had enough people to move quickly and to keep watch, but not so many that we would have been slowed down. It’s just not logical. She didn’t even take supplies.” He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared out the window. He thought back to the interactions that he had with her, few as they were.

 _‘Yeah I’m not really friendly.’_ There were so many walkers that day. Why had Elyza come? She didn’t even know them then. She hadn’t so much as flinched when Daniel had held the gun to her head, even once Alicia had taken her own. It wasn’t until Alicia had stepped in front of her did her expression change. He could see her jaw clench from across the room as she held his sister in place. His sister had hit her with a fucking bat, and here she was standing in front of a gun, putting herself between not only Alicia but his mother as well. 

Why had she been in the city? She knew that it was clear on the outskirts. She had cleared the area herself.

“Turn around!” He straightened up as Ofelia slammed on the breaks and did as he said. “She’ll have gone towards the city. She’s not a survivor she’s a fucking martyr.” Ofelia shot him a confused look, probing him to clarify. “How did we meet her?”

“She saved Alicia.”

“There were at least ten walkers there.”

“Yeah but they’re slow. And it’s Elyza. What’s the difference between ten and one to her?” She headed towards the city despite her doubts.

“She went into the city, by herself, with a sniper rifle attached to her back. Why would anyone do that? She comes back covered in blood and none of us question it. Yeah she’s Elyza, but she had no reason to go downtown that day.”

“That’s just where the walkers happened to be,” Ofelia muttered, catching onto what Nick was saying. Nick thought back to the red hands painted on the wall.

“She’s not concerned with whether she lives or dies, but she’s going to take out as many as she can and hope someone else makes it out in the process.” Ofelia pushed down on the gas as the words left Nick’s mouth, making her way as fast as she could. “She’s not a survivor, she’s a reckless hero."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is! I thought they'd find Elyza in this chapter but it ended up not happening. Drop a line, let me know what you think


	11. Chapter 11

Even the sound of the blaring music couldn’t drown out the sound of the approaching vehicle. Elyza continued her work on the bike, waiting for the noise to fade but instead it only seemed to get closer. When it stopped all together, she stood from her place in front of the bike, and watched the shadows of two figures walking into the open door. She tilted her head slightly as they got closer and as one turned she could just make out the gun.

“If you’re going to shoot me go for the head. No need to waste a bullet when I come back,” she raised her voice over the stereo and then got back to work. As the shadows moved closer she tensed minutely, her eyes shooting to her saddlebag on the counter. When the first figure entered her line of sight she found herself relaxing momentarily before her fist clenched. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” she glared as the brunette shut off her music.

“Neither should you,” Ofelia shot back. 

“This is where I belong.”

“In a dingy garage?” Elyza recognized that it was Nick accompanying Ofelia without having to turn around. She had settled on ignoring him when Ofelia spoke again.

“Alone.” Elyza’s movement paused briefly as she glanced at the woman in front of her.

“It’s for the best.”

“For who?” She took a step closer.

“For everyone,” Elyza lowered her voice, refusing to look up and meet the brown eyes staring imploringly at her. 

“Elyza you can’t-“ 

“You don’t know anything about me Ofelia. You don’t know anything beyond my name. Who I am or where I come from.”

“We know enough,” Nick walked further into the shop. Elyza dropped her wrench to the ground and walked over to where she had set her bag.

“You sure?” When she turned, her arm hung limply at her side, a gun held loosely in her palm.

The sound of gunshots had Alicia slamming on the breaks. Her head immediately turned to look at Chris to see if he had heard it as well and if his wide eyes were any indication, he had. 

“Where?”

“Left! Turn left!” Chris was banging on the dashboard as Alicia stomped on the gas pedal. 

“Chris what if-“

“No Alicia,” he cut her off before she could finish the sentence. “She’s fine. Everything is fine. Just go.” As he spoke he pulled both guns out of the backpack by his feet.

“Shit shit shit,” a series of shots went off and Alicia pressed down even harder.

“Which direction did you guys come from?” Elyza asked as she shoved the other two towards a back room. “Forget it. Theres a broken window. Barricade the door and climb out. I’ll meet you out there.”

“Elyza!” Ofelia called to her as she closed the door in their faces.

“Go!” She yelled through the door, before rushing to her bike. She hopped on and rocked backwards and forwards, quickly dismounting from the center stand. Once both wheels were on the ground she turned the bike on and revved the engine, catching the attention of all of the reapers. She revved a few more times before clicking down to first and taking off. Within seconds she had clicked up to third and was riding through the crowd of reapers. As she passed she could feel the press of decaying hands, clawing at her skin and trying to pull her in. Once she broke free she skidded to a stop, pulled her knife, and got off the bike. Just before she lunged at the closest reaper, her black truck came screeching to halt between her and the hoard and out hopped a pissed off Daniel Salazar.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Get back in the truck!” The two yelled at each other simultaneously. Elyza stormed towards the man, her demeanor making Daniel wonder if she was going to hit him. Instead she hurried past and reached into the truck, pulling a shotgun from underneath the seat. She turned back to Daniel, raising the gun as she did so.

“Duck,” she put her cheek to the stock and chambered the round. As soon as Daniel did as instructed she pulled the trigger, dropping the reaper behind him. She pulled again and the next reapers head was blown clean off. She stormed forward and hit another with the butt of her gun. His head whipped back but it took two more hits until he fell. Meanwhile Daniel was shooting into the small crowd. 

“Ofelia and Nick are out back,” Elyza yelled to the man over the sound of groaning and gunshots. “Drive around and get them out. I'll hold them off.” Daniel only looked torn for a second before he nodded and tossed Elyza his rifle. 

“We’ll be back for you.” Elyza shot a reaper in the head before turning to the man. 

“Don't. Get them out Dan, I'll be fine. She's you're responsibility remember?”

“So are you.”

With all of the reapers disposed of, Elyza dropped to the pavement where she sat cross legged and rested her head in the palm of her hand. She let out a sigh as she looked around at the bodies. There were always more. As soon as she cut them down a new crop would pop up. With the sound of Daniel pulling back around, hopefully with Nick and his daughter in tow, she wiped her hands on her pants to clear a bit of the blood.

“I have to stay,” she closed her eyes when she felt his presence next to her. “If anyone can understand it’s you. If you could keep Ofelia from knowing wouldn’t you? I’m not the person you all seem to think I am. I’m not the person she thinks I am.”

“Maybe you’re not who **_you_** think you are.” Elyza looked up to find Alicia standing next to her. At her surprised glance, Alicia sat down at her side, ignoring the walkers that laid around them. “We heard the gunshots,” she took her hand into her own, unbothered by the blood on it, and pulled it into her lap where she started to play with her fingers. “Chris and I.”

“You’re supposed to go in the opposite direction of gunshots.” Elyza’s voice was low as she let out a choked laugh.

“I had to find you. Had to make sure you were okay." She squeezed the hand she held in her own.

“You shouldn’t have Alicia. I’m not – I’m just going to get you hurt.” She had yet to look away from their hands. 

“Elyza.” When the blonde didn’t turn to look at her, Alicia turned her whole body to face her, resting her forehead on the other girl’s shoulder. “I’ll always find you Elyza,” she whispered.

“Alicia,” Alicia had never heard her voice sound more broken. She finally turned her head to take in the brunette. She reached out with her free hand but at the sight of the crusted blood she quickly pulled back. “Everyone I l-. Everyone I know dies Alicia. I won’t let you join the list. Every time I try, I fail. I can’t save anyone. You’re the one good thing I’ve ever done. I won’t ruin that.”

“You won’t.”

“Look around us. This is who I am Alicia. I’m a fucking bomb and I destroy everything.” Alicia raised her head so that their eyes could meet. She searched the blue in front of her for a moment before leaning forwards. She briefly pressed her lips to the blonde’s before pulling back just enough to whisper.

“Not everything.”

“That’s not fair,” Elyza husked out after a moments silence, during which her eyes remained closed and her forehead pressed against Alicia’s. After Alicia hummed a questioning noise she elaborated. “You can’t just kiss me. I can’t think when you do that. It’s distracting.” Alicia let out a soft laugh before reaching out and placing a hand on the back of Elyza’s neck.

“I’ll have to remember that,” she connected their lips once again.

“Hey guys,” Chris stepped out of the truck and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “As great as this is, and trust me it is, I think that’s the truck coming this way. And if you plan on continuing to share a room you might want to disconnect. “

“Damn right it was great,” Elyza muttered under her breath as she stood. Once to her feet she reached down to help Alicia up, grasping her forearm and pulling until she stood next to her. She reached down and picked up the rifle Daniel had given her as the truck got closer, putting herself between Alicia, Chris, and the approaching vehicle. Once she saw for sure that it was Madison and Travis she lowered the barrel.

“We heard gunshots,” Madison climbed out, bat in hand, before the white truck had even come to a complete stop. 

“Why do all of you go towards the sound of gunshots?” Elyza’s question brought unwanted attention to the girl attempting to hide behind her and Chris who had ducked back inside of the car. 

“What are you two doing here?” Travis asked once he had joined them.

“We were just in the neighborhood. Like we said earlier, Elyza cleared the area,” she nodded to the fallen walkers in an attempt to weasel out of it. It didn’t work at all and her mother immediately went to tell her so but was cut off by the truck making its way around the corner. Travis raised the gun in his hand but quickly lowered it when Elyza spoke up. 

“Mom?”

“Alicia?” Nick and Ofelia spoke at the same time.

Elyza’s eyes roamed from person to person. “You guys should really communicate.” Alicia reached out and shoved her in the side.

“You have no room to talk.” At the hiss Elyza let out upon contact Alicia glanced down at her side and what she had assumed was walker blood. 

“What happened?” Any sense of attempted humor was gone from Alicia’s voice in an instant.

“It’s fine, really.” Elyza was unable to shrug it off when Alicia lifted the hem of her shirt. “I just pulled a few stitches.”

“Let’s go.” She stormed to the Mini and opened the passenger door. “Back seat Chris,” Chris quickly scrambled to do as told.

“My bike…”

“I’ll drive it back.” The entire group could have gotten whiplash as their heads snapped to Madison. “I was a psych student.” She just shrugged. There was a moment of shocked silence but Alicia was soon back to guiding Elyza to the car. 

“When we get back tell me how to fix them.”Alicia gestured to her bleeding side.

“That’s alright. Daniel can do them.” She looked to the man over the roof of the car and she gave him a small nod that was quickly returned. She then looked to Madison. “Take care of my baby will you?” The only response she got in returned was a muttered _you too_ that Elyza had to read from her lips. 

“Always.” She ducked into the seat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I really hope that them meeting back up lived up to any expectations. Elyza is probably still going to take some convincing but Alicia took a step and she got to see how everyone came to look for her. I lightened it up a bit at the end there since its been a while then brought it back with the bit of interaction with Daniel and Madison.
> 
> Did anyone watch the new FTWD episode? Daniel drumming on his stomach and humming is kind of how I like to picture him when he's with Elyza. But less keeping an eye on her like he was with Strand and more someones dad/grandpa. I guess it would be dad-ish since Ofelia is probably only a few years older. But anyway, hope you enjoyed!


	12. Chapter 12

“You look like a raccoon,” Alicia mentions as she guides Elyza to lean against the bathroom sink. When she absently places a hand on Elyza’s hip and reaches around to grab the baby wipes, the blonde can’t help the way her breath catches, her eyes never straying from the face in front of her. Once the wipes are in hand Alicia is gently sweeping strands out of her face and wiping away the black smudges around her eyes, Elyza allowing her eyes to continue searching the face in front of her as hers is taken in long, delicate fingers.

“What?” Alicia asks when Elyza still doesn’t speak. The entire time she had spent helping her to clean up she hadn’t looked away.

“Can I?” Elyza croaked out. “Can I kiss you?” Elyza’s eyes dart down to lips that have parted but quickly return to gaze into green eyes. Alicia took a step to bring her closer, trying not to laugh as Elyza straightens and pushes herself further into the counter at the sudden movement. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have” she shakes her head and her words are cut off as she finds a pair of lips on her own. 

Elyza immediately relaxes with the press of Alicia in front of her. After the initial surprise, her hands unclench from the edge of the sink and bury themselves in the fabric of Alicia’s shirt underneath the leather jacket still draped over her shoulders. Alicia’s hands relocate to the back of her neck. The tug to bring Elyza closer catches the blonde off guard and suddenly their heads are colliding.

“Fuck!” Elyza gasps out as Alicia hisses. Hands shoot up to their respective heads and Elyza quickly reaches up to rub the spot on Alicia’s head where they connected.

“Sorry” Alicia laughs out and Elyza can't help the grin she feels spreading across her own at the sight.

“Don’t worry about it” she mumbles and then stands on her toes to press her lips to the spot. When she returns to stand flat on her feet, she drops her hands to grip lightly at Alicia’s hips. “You look amazing in my jacket by the way.”

“You should see me out of it” Alicia raises an eyebrow, donning a very Elyza esq smirk. Elyza lets out a bark of laughter but doesn’t skip a beat in her response.

“You’d still be wearing far too much for my liking babe.” There was the resurgence of the Elyza everyone had come to expect. She winked and then slid from in front of Alicia and out of the room, leaving a flustered girl in her wake.

Elyza climbs up on the kitchen counter slowly at Madison’s insistence that she take it easy as not to tear any more stitches.

“Lay down,” Madison rolls up a towel to place under the younger girl’s neck as her head rests on the edge of the counter, hair spilling into the sink. Both remain silent as she starts rinsing walker blood out of her hair with the jug of water. When she starts rubbing shampoo in Elyza lets out a sigh and closes her eyes, relaxing as the woman scratches at her scalp and the stubborn areas were the blood had begun to cake.

“My mom used to wash my hair like this when I had gotten old enough to care if she saw me nude but was still young enough to not be able to rinse all of the soap out.”

“Alicia used to be especially bad at it.”

“All that hair? I can imagine.” It falls silent as Madison rinses and starts with the conditioner Elyza had specifically requested.

”I’m glad you came back.” Elyza’s brow furrows at the admittance.

“I was doing the right thing.” She pauses in thought. “But I can’t have all of you wondering blindly through the city.” Madison had finished but remained silent as the girl continues to herself. “Especially not when you don’t know which areas are clear and which to avoid.” Elyza sits up quickly ignoring the tug of her new stitches pulling as well as Madison’s warning to be careful and dashes out of the room, returning minutes later with a map in hand and calling everyone into the room with them. Once everyone is seated around the table she lays out the map.

“I can’t just stay here.” She was met with the beginning of protest but quickly cut them off by raising her hand. “It’s just something I’ve got to do. But I’ve got a map,” she laid it on the table, “that I’ll update everyday. I usually keep one in the truck and one in my bike but I can leave one in here on the table or taped to the wall.” She had come to stand in the space between Alicia and her mother. “The highlighted areas are completely clear and easy to navigate. The green is clear but slow going. Too many cars in the way to be able to get through with trucks. Starred areas are danger zones. They’re high population areas. I’ve cleared out a lot of Los Angeles but there are bound to be places crawling with reapers. If you go further through the state theres San Diego, Jose, and Francisco. They’ve got the biggest populations and therefore will be the hardest hit areas. You’ll have to worry about more than just the reapers. San Diego especially. There are a number of military facilities so people will have flocked there in hopes of salvation.” She thought back to the military who had mowed through the living. “They won’t have found it.” She paused to let everyone look at the map. “I was working my way to the cities but I’ll come back here every night. If I can’t, I’ll let you know through the walkie.”

“I’m going with you.” Alicia was leaning forward at this point, studying the road map intently.

“Alici-“

“You’re not going.” Madison cut Elyza off. “And I’d rather you not either.”

“You can’t just go out there on your own,” Alicia’s hands were turning white at her grasp on her chair.

“I also can’t drag you into danger,” she had turned to face Alicia completely who stood to come nose to nose with her. 

“But yet you insist on running head long into it,” she was starting to raise her voice.

“I can’t while you’re there Alicia.” While Alicia’s voice had raised, Elyza’s had fallen to a whisper so quiet that only the brunette could hear. “I can’t do what needs to be done when I’ve got to worry about you.”

“I can take care of myself.” Her voice was firm.

“That’s not it,” she brought a hand up to run through her hair. “I shut off Alicia. I don’t want you to see the person that I become. The type of person I really am.”

“I know who you are,” she finally lowers her voice. 

“You don’t. And you can take care of yourself but this is different. The only one who knows how to shoot is Daniel and even that isn’t enough. None of you are equipped for this,” she finally turned away from Alicia and to face the group again. 

“Then show us,” Chris raises his chin defiantly and all Elyza can do is let out a sigh. 

“Why do you want to go?” Alicia huffed as she rested her head in her hand and looked down at Elyza. The sun had long since gone down but both of them remained awake.

“Huh” was the intelligent response from the nearly asleep blonde. 

“You shouldn’t go out any more. It’s not safe. Especially while you’re still hurt” she ran her fingers across her hairline. Elyza turned her head into the touch before opening her eyes.

“I’ll wait until I heal, but there could be people out there. I’m not good at helping but I’ve still got to try. What if there’s someone else. Someone who still has a bit of hope. Someone who would miss them.” Elyza looked down at her scraped up hands as she trailed off. 

“ ** _You_** have someone to miss you. A houseful of someones.” She could read the doubt on Elyza’s face and continued on. “Alright well there’s Chris and I who are the obvious ones, but then there’s everyone else as well. My mother, ever the pragmatist, my brother the drug addict, Travis who has done everything he can to avoid the walkers for months, too afraid to lose anyone else, Ofelia who while admittedly looked rather tough holding an assault rifle probably couldn’t hurt a fly, and Daniel who isn’t risking himself for anyone but his daughter.” She reached out to intertwine their fingers, resting their hands on the blonde’s stomach. “You did that Elyza. We’ve all been living with each other but it’s you who brought us together. We were just clumsily bumping into each other before you showed up. Now we actually fit.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I’m sorry I was such a prat about it before.”

“That’s British,” Elyza smiled at her. “Not Australian. We’ll work on it though.” Alicia leaned down and kissed her.

“Looking forward to it.”

“I’ll still have to go.” 

“I know. That’s why I” she cut herself off. “Thats why you’re you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, Chapter 12! It's shorter than I had planned but hopefully I can make up for that next time. Anyway, enjoy!


	13. Chapter 13

“Again,” Elyza demanded as Travis picked himself up off of the ground. She watched as he wiped mud off of his hands and absently flicked the hair that had fallen in her face out of the way.

“Elyza-“ Travis started in, approaching her with his hands up but his guard down.

“It’s not the reapers you have to worry about,” she pulled his elbow forward and away from his body, taking the opportunity to duck into the now unoccupied space beside him, lifting him up just enough to throw him back onto the ground. “It’s the people.” She lets out a dark chuckle and then reaches down to help him to his feet. When he grabs her hand she pulls him up just enough to deliver a punch to his jaw that sends him back to the ground, mud splashing onto the bottom of her pants. “Come on Travis, you’ve got at least half a foot on me remember?” She circles him as he stares up at her. A smirk comes to her face, one that she’s kept hidden from the family. She did her best to channel Rav as she spoke her next words.

“What happens next time some stranger shows up? Can’t even handle me. What about someone with different… intentions?” She drew the word out. “And what did you know about mine? Is it up to Daniel to pull the gun again because you can’t? Because you aren’t able to protect your family.” She’s lowered her hands at this point and tries to prepare herself for her next words. To speak them without faltering. “Madison and Alicia are something you know. I’m sure someone would be willing to take care of them.” She growls out the words, covering her shaking hands with her menacing tone. As soon as the words have left her mouth Travis was on his feet and tackling her off of hers. The wind is knocked out of her as she hist the ground but she manages to move her head to the side just as Travis’ fist would have connected. 

“Come on!” She yells out, spittle flying when his hand hits the grass instead of its intended target. “For someone who’s always running you’re too fucking slow.” He misses again. “Just hoping they take Ofelia then? Think they’ll leave with just one?” That swing just grazed her cheekbone. “It’s not the dead you’ve got to watch out for, it’s everyone else. That’s when they’ll suffer.” She continues to taunt him. “And the living just captured your family,” she finally lays still and allows Travis to connect.

“Is that all?” Her taunting doest't let up but she stops struggling. “Hit me you bastard!” Her yell is loud enough to catch the attention of Daniel from inside who runs out into the rain to see what’s going on. As soon as he takes in what’s happening, he darts across the yard and pulls Travis off. He’s breathing heavily but as soon as he allows himself to see the bleeding nose and the busted lip he brings his hands to his head at what he’s done. Her face is already starting to swell, her eyes blackening. When Daniel goes to help Elyza up she just pushes his hand away and forces herself to her feet, hiding the grimace that’s fighting to break free.

“Elyza I’m so sorry,” the taller man was clearly distraught.

“Don’t be. That’s what I wanted. I knew what I was saying. Maybe now we can get somewhere. I can take a punch Travis, don’t be afraid to throw one. This world isn’t equipped for fear.”

When both men had returned to the house she rushed to the edge of the yard and lost her lunch. Travis wasn’t the only one affected by her words. She wished Daniel had waited a few more moments to come rushing out. 

“Where’d you go?” At the sound of footsteps Alicia’s eyes snap away from the pages in front of her and to the soaked back of Elyza Lex.

“Outside,” her hands were buried into her pockets. Alicia let out a huff of air as she stood from her seat.

“Well obviously. But _why_? It’s really coming down out there.” The smile could be heard in her voice.

“I was training with Travis.” Alicia reached a hand out to touch the other girls’ shoulder and maneuvered around her with a smile that fell as soon as they were face to face.

“What happened?” She ran her thumb along the split in her lip and then the cut above her eye.

“Nothing,” Elyza shrugged her off. It was the absolute worst time for Travis to walk through the door looking unscathed other than his bruised knuckles.

“What did you do?” Her hands fell from the face in her grasp as she turned to face the man fully, fists clenched at her side.

“I-” he started, his head hanging, but was quickly interrupted.

“Alicia don’t” she withdrew one of her hands from her pocket and to place on the small of Alicia’s back, trying to quell the minute shaking. “I pushed him.”

“That’s no reason,” she was livid and had yet to pull her glare away from Travis. Elyza shook her head at him when he went to respond.

“Alicia I would’ve kept pushing. This is what I wanted. It’s what he needed,” she corrected herself. “Honestly, I would have hit me.” Alicia spent a moment looking between the two of them, breathing heavily, before she left the room. She stopped briefly in front of Travis and muttered to him before stalking out completely.

“She’s right,” Travis' voice was low and uneven when he looked up to meet Elyza’s eye. “You’re just a nineteen year old girl.”

“And that’s what will get you killed.” She shoved her hand back into her pocket. “I’m an eighteen year old girl who could throw a knife into your skull from forty feet away. Do you know how many children have turned? A second’s hesitation is a second too many and that’s with the dead. The living are worse. There are people out there who would kill you without a thought to save themselves. And neither of us like to think about it,” Elyza screwed her eyes shut and took a shaky breath. “The rest was true too Travis.” She dug her nails into her thighs. “There are sick fucks out there that would take them and I’ll kill them if they so much as think about laying a hand on her. If you wait it could be too late.” Travis stared at her for a second before giving a single nod which she took as her cue to leave and find Alicia.

She stood outside of the door breathing deeply trying to calm her heart at the thoughts that were racing through her head. She opened the door and let her hand linger on the surface, focusing on the wood beneath her fingertips as she tried to ground herself against the onslaught of imaginary images, her eyes darting around the room until they settled on the brunette standing at the window, arms crossed against her chest. At the sight of her unharmed she was finally able to bring her breathing back to normal. She made her way to her duffle bag and pulled out a pair of sweats and a black shirt, shrugging out of her wet clothes and into something dry. The ghost of a touch on her back as she went to pull on the shirt had her flinching unwillingly.

“I hadn’t seen this one.” Alicia’s voice was at a whisper as her finger traced the tattoo going up the middle of her back, her cold hands bringing goose bumps to the surface. Elyza stilled her movements when she felt her moving to unmarked skin and then a soft press of lips to her shoulder. “You haven’t healed yet,” Alicia’s eyes trailed to the damaged skin on her side that she could see from her spot behind her. “And you’re not going to if you keep doing this to yourself.” She looked to her other shoulder that she had scraped up on loose gravel, to the bandage wrapped around her arm that hung limply by her side, and to the bruise that was just starting to form the other, not far from where the previous one had been. She took a small step back as Elyza pulled her shirt on and turned around. “We both know it wasn’t just for Travis,” she reached up to brush against the bruise forming on her cheekbone. “You can’t keep punishing yourself. Whatever it was, you’ve got to let it go.” Alicia thought back to Andrew, the soldier Travis had beat after shooting Ofelia. “Don’t push Travis. Please. Whatever it is,” her hands went up to either side of the blonde’s neck as she rested their foreheads together. Her eyes danced across the swollen eyes, bruised nose, and the blood that marred her golden hair. “Just let it go.” 

“I should’ve been there for them,” her voice cracked. “It was my job to be there for them.”

“Good morning Christopher Robin.” Elyza jumped over the couch, nearly landing on the shaggy haired teen. She had finally healed, her stitches had been removed, the cuts on her face had disappeared as if they were never there, and her black eye was back to its natural tone. She was starting to get antsy, ready to get back out there.

“Stop calling me that,” he nudged her with his feet, looking up briefly before his attention was returned to the task at hand.

“Still working on that?” His head shot up and he glared. Elyza adopted an innocent expression as she studied her nails. He pulled his leg back and his previous nudge transformed into an actual kick. She let out a bark of laughter. 

“Not a Christopher Walken fan mate?”

“Right now I’m not a _you_ fan.”

“Bet Christopher Robin doesn’t seem so bad now.” When he just ignored her she moved on. “No luck?”

“All I’ve been able to charge is Alicia’s phone.” He sighed.

“That was sort of the main idea,” she said shrugging. “Maybe you’re just not getting enough sunlight. The yard is pretty shaded. “Don’t stress. You’ll figure it out.” She ruffled his hair about, dodging the hands trying to swat her own away. “I’m going for a run but when I get back be ready to head outside.” At his nod of understanding she hopped up and strapped a gun to one leg and a set of knives to the other. “Tell Alicia I’ll be back in about an hour,” she looked up from fiddling with the fit just in time to see Chris’ grin spread across his face. With a quick demand to save it, she strutted out of the house and into the midmorning California sun. 

The sound of the front door opening and closing went mostly unnoticed as the foursome continued whatever it was they were doing. It wasn’t until Elyza spoke did any of them look up. At the sight that greeted her, Alicia took a sharp breath and just managed to hang onto the book in her hands. At eye level were dangerously low sweats and abs that were only a few paces away from arms reach. Marvelous abs that were currently covered in a thin sheen of sweat. 'Holy shit, boobs’ she thought. Elyza was bending over slightly and ‘oh god’ were the words running on repeat through Alicia’s head. She stared for a few more seconds as Elyza unstrapped the weapons on her legs. It wasn’t until she stood up straight again that Alicia shook her head slightly and shifted in her seat, tuning in to what was being said.

“-ple tree a few blocks over. A whole garden. I figured it’s been a while since anyone had fresh food.” She was unfolding the shirt Alicia assumed she at one point had been wearing, still not looking up at the silent occupants of the room. At the realization that no one else was speaking Alicia cast her eyes around and immedietly started scowling. Nick and Chris were both practically drooling. Even Ofelia was a bit slack jawed as she ran her eyes over Elyza, her head tilted slightly. It was at this moment that Elyza finally raised her eyes to the room. 

“What?” she asked Ofelia who’s gaze caught hers first. She took a bite of the apple before picking up another. 

“Did you want a taste?” Alicia nearly gave herself whiplash with the speed at which she turned to look back at the blonde who had raised a single eyebrow in question.

“Who wouldn’t?” She could hear the smile in her tone and immediately glared at the older brunette who was tossed an apple. Ofelia’s eyes then caught her own and instead of withering under her stare, her smile only seemed to get bigger. 

“I’m going to go put these on the kitchen counter.” Alicia was snapped out of the one sided staring contest and watched as the blonde left the room, eyes trailing from her sculpted shoulders to her backside. She was hardly out of sight when Alicia shot up, her book falling to the ground. 

“I’m just… ah gonna… going to get some water.” She was almost clear of the room when she heard Ofelia’s comment of her clearly being ‘thirsty for something.’

When she entered the kitchen, Elyza had just finished setting the collection of apples on the counter and was in the middle of redoing the messy bun on the top of her head. She turned at the sound of footsteps and graced Alicia with a soft smile. She was mid greeting when she found a set of lips on her own, her body pushed back into the counter behind her.

“What?” She pulled back but Alicia followed, lips immediately reclaiming her own.

Elyza let her questions fizzle out at the press of the girl in front of her. Even if she had wanted to voice them, her brain was in no state to continue the train of thought anyway. It had much better things to focus on, namely the brunette that was currently trailing delicate fingers along her stomach. Her own hands remained firmly on the counter behind her, using every bit of remaining brain power she had to keep from drawing the girl impossibly closer, still unsure where she was going with this and not wanting to push. It was at the sound of a moan and hands moving to dance along her ribs that Elyza finally released the counter. Her hands came to rest lightly on the slim waist and she opened her eyes, pulling back just enough to speak.

“Alicia?” she received a small hum of acknowledgment and a quick peck to her lips that had her glancing down at the other’s. She smiled at their slightly swollen state. “I’m all sweaty.”

“So you are.” Alicia didn’t act to pull away at all, her fingers still never completely stilling, even as Elyza pulled back a bit to take in her face.

“You’re hands have travelled.”

“So they have.” She made no attempt to move, her thumbs having made their way underneath the elastic of Elyza’s black sports bra, brushing lightly back in forth in a manner that sent a shiver up Elyza’s spine.

“Guess Ofelia wasn’t the one who wanted a taste.” A smirk broke out across her face at the humor of her earlier statement and the faint blush that rose to the other girl’s cheeks. “You’re cute,” the smirk softened to a small grin.

“You’re,” her eyes trailed slowly down the body in front of her. She stepped back just a bit so that she could take all of her in. “Not.” When her eyes returned to Elyza’s face, it was to the single raised eyebrow. When she countered with her own, she let out a deep chuckle. 

“And people think I’m a bad influence. You’re like a teenage boy.” She was taken aback by the scowl that made its way onto her face at the words.

“Chris was looking a bit too intently.” She stepped back into Elyza. “So let me assure you,” she lightly pressed her lips to the corner of her mouth, “you’ve got no need for teenage boys.” And with that she was pushing into the blonde with a renewed vigor. Elyza allowed it, shifting to accommodate the body pressed into her own, tilting her head to the side as Alicia’s hands resumed their previous journey. It was with a nip and tug at her bottom lip that Elyza let out a growl and moved from her relaxed position leaning against the counter to standing up straight and pushing back. 

Alicia wasn’t sure how it happened but suddenly she wasn’t pushing into Elyza but it was the other way around, her back coming to rest firmly against the counter that she had pressed the slightly older girl against. There was no space for her hands between their bodies and so she trailed them up to tangle together against the back of her neck, drawing her impossibly closer. The barely there hands trailing down her side had her brain misfiring. A gasp as they passed her ribs, a shiver when they ghosted over her torso. She continued the trip, her hands pressing briefly against her hips and then trailing even lower until they grasped her thighs. Alicia let out a relatively quite squeal at the surprise of being lifted onto the countertop. She laughed at the smile she felt break out on the other girls face.

“That was hot.”

“You’re hot.” Alicia laughed at the corniness of it all.

“I thought I was cute.”

“You’re that too.” Elyza’s smile stretched across her whole face and for once she looked the nineteen years old that she actually was.

“So are you,” she said. “Very adorable.” Elyza glowered.

“Cute? Adorable? You’ll ruin my rep love. I’m Elyza fucking Lex. Kicking ass and taking names.” She brushed off the words, uncomfortable with the sincerity. Alicia let it go, knowing sometimes it was better not to push, and pressed her lips softly to those in front of her. They were kissing slowly, moving as one when words broke out in the near silence.

“What was there besides apples?”

Alicia jumped at the sound of the voice, sliding off the counter, and inadvertently shoving Elyza roughly to stumble into the table.

“Shite!” She poked at where her hip had scrapped up against the worn wood. “Every bloody time,” she muttered as she inspected the wood that had her cut her hip.

“I’m so sorry,” Alicia rushed over to her immediately. “Let me help.”

“Sure you’ll help,” Ofelia grinned. “Might want to help with _just_ that. Chris is getting antsy about his lesson,” she told them before walking back out of the room, laughing at Alicia’s uncharacteristic clumsiness. 

“You’ll be putting a shirt on before that,” Alicia groused as she cleaned at the small wound. Elyza couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped her lips. 

“Where’d you find the shoes?” Chris asked as he laced up the black boots Elyza had brought him that nearly matched her own. 

“One of the neighbors. You ready?” Chris nodded his head as he stood. They both picked up a number of knives and headed outside, Travis trailing behind them looking uncomfortable with the fact that his son had to learn such things. 

“Just in case,” Elyza turned and nodded at Travis who nodded in return. 

“Alright sport,” she teased. “The trick is to stay relaxed but still stand up straight. If you’re tense you’ll overthrow and pick up bad form as well as inconsistency. Granted that’s easier said than done when the bastards are trying to bite you.” She pulled a knife from her leg and straightened up, only sparing the tree a glance before looking back at Chris and throwing the knife. 

“Show off,” he muttered as it made contact with the center of the target and embedded itself in the tree. She just grinned and continued on, gesturing for Chris to choose a knife.

“Alright so the best ones won’t have sharp edges, just a sharp point, and will be thick enough for the tip not to bend. Anything perforated is more likely to break and anything less than about 200 grams is going to take more accuracy. I realize this is an apocalypse so you’re going to have to work with whatever you’ve got.” Chris nodded, hanging on to every word. “A lot of ours our hunting knives which are greatt for hand to hand but you’ve got to be careful throwing them. Hold it like a hammer,” he did as told. “There you go. Make sure you keep your thumb on top of your other fingers and that they won’t alter the trajectory. Now slide your hand so there’s some space between the edge of the blade and your hand. Perfect.” She led him a bit closer to the tree. “So from about this distance you’ll go for half of a spin. It’s pretty simple but you’ve got to make sure you have another knife or time to retrieve that one if other reapers are close by. Grip your knife with the blade facing you and the handle towards the sky.” As she demonstrated he copied, his right foot forward with his left slightly behind and knife at the ready. “Then you just throw it. Enough force to stick but don’t over do it.”

He threw the knife and it flew straight at the tree, thunking to the ground as soon as it hit.

“The aim is perfect, you’ve just got to get the rotation.” 

He tried again with the same result. Then again. And again. He let out a huff.

“It’s impossible.”

“It’s not. It’s not like shooting a gun.” She pulled a knife out and handed it to him. “You’re still thinking too hard. Relax and don’t throw so hard.” He closed his eyes and took in a calming breath. When he reopened them he let it fly and it sunk into the tree on the edge of the target. He let out a disappointed noise before Elyza clapped him on the back. 

“That was great kid. Now it’ll just take some practice.” She pulled her sunglasses down onto the bridge of her nose and grabbed herself a chair while Chris went to collect the knives by the tree. He’d get there.

“Alright spread your legs.” Alicia shivered at the voice in her ear and the grip on her legs.

“What?” was the ever intelligent reply that she came up with. 

“Your legs Buttercup.” She nearly choked when she felt the hands trailing down her thighs and pushing them apart. There was a smirk against her neck and then the warmth behind her was gone as Elyza stepped away. Suddenly she was able to breathe again. 

“You’re an ass” she muttered, seeing what had just happened.

“You like my ass? Yeah that seems to be the problem. You’re supposed to be focussing on the bottles,” Alicia rolled her eyes at the bark of laughter let out by Ofelia who was sitting on the back porch waiting on her father for her own practice. 

“You’re impossible.”

“Alright alright.” Elyza threw her hands up and then took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves, a mask of seriousness coming into place. “Spread your feet just a tad more,” she pushed on the inside of her foot with her black boots until she was happy with the new stance. Pulling the gun from the back of her jeans, she removed the magazine, and handed it over. She then proceeded to lecture and demonstrate all of the basics; gun maintenance, engaging the safety, reloading, various stances. “Because we’re dealing with reapers, you don’t really have to worry about becoming a smaller target for anyone returning fire or about exposing vital organs. It’s up to you really and what’s comfortable. You’re going to revert back to that when or if a situation arises anyway. Isosceles is comfortable, fairly natural, and thought to improve accuracy. That’s clearly important when the only thing thats going to stop your opponent is a shot to the head. On the other hand, you won’t be quite as balanced front to rear. The Weaver helps control recoil and aids in control generally in the push pull motion. Moving from there is kind of awkward though, not that the reapers are very fast. Lastly is the Fighting Stance. There aren’t really any downsides but its more advanced and lets you fire any weapon effectively and to defend yourself with your hands or knife.” She had gone into teacher mode and then handed the magazine to Alicia.

“Good,” she stood behind her. “Now look down and align the sights. Aim with your dominate eye. Now just breathe and pull slow.” Alicia did as told, missing the bottle and hitting the post to right of it. “Not bad. You tightened your grip when you pulled the trigger. Try again.” The next shot hit the tree behind the bottle. “Don’t anticipate kick back. Again.” The bottle shattered and Chris let out a whoop of excitement behind them. Alicia started to turn but stopped when Elyza’s hand shot out to her own. 

“Safety.” She clicked on the safety and turned to the group with a big grin. When she looked at Elyza’s face she was greeted by a stoic look but as her own smile began to fade, she was given a small grin and Elyza nodding back to the fence. “Good. Now keep going.”

“You’re not at all squeamish?” Nick and Alicia shook their heads at the same time. 

“There was a kid who’s bone broke through his skin and he didn’t even flinch.”

“That’s perfect.” She pulled the IFAK out and set it on the table. “Bandages, a tourniquet, burn ointment, purification tablets, and QuickClot. Each kit also has meds.” She pulled the kit back when Nick reached to take it and looked inside. “We’re trusting you Nick. No one knows pills like you but I know how much we have.”

“I’m clean,” he took the bag.

“Good. But if it gets tempting let me know. We’ll keep it between the two of us.” He gave a small nod. “Hopefully we won’t need the knowledge but we’ll work on stitches and slings. Turns out I need the former quite often.” She attempts to lighten the mood, receiving an elbow from Alicia in return.

It was a successful month all in all Elyza thought. Sure they all had a ways to go, Daniel excluded, but she was confident that they could at least hold their own against a number of reapers. Living, thinking opponents would probably still get the best of them but progress was progress and they had definitely improved. After the initial overview of everything, she had altered her approach to cater to everyone’s individual needs. Travis ended up being the toughest of all. He had never been back to the point he had reached that day in the rain but he fluctuated wildly between overly aggressive and a meek gentle giant. He’d either throw weak ineffective punches, or swing unrestrained and carelessly making him easy to avoid. He was a mammoth of a man and Elyza appreciated his humanity, she just worried that if the time came it would get in his way.

All the others were progressing steadily. As it turned out, Alicia was much better with the knives than everyone else, picking up the skill almost immediately. She was given several as well as a long blade that moved as if it was an extension of her person. Chris was close behind but turned out to be an awful shot, unable to lose the slight cringe when he pulled the trigger. It was small but threw off his aim every time, causing him to just miss his targets. Instead, she nervously outfitted him with a few grenades when his father and Madison weren’t looking and a number of blades attached to his body in an odd pattern that only he could understand. He also tended to gravitate towards the crowbar the few times that they ventured out, much like the Clark women had with the baseball bat. 

The elder Clark sibling was a sneaky bastard. She wasn’t surprised in the least. He, of everyone, was not afraid to fight dirty. Elyza could appreciate that. There was no honor to be had in the throes of a fight, especially in one that was to the death. Honor was for afterwards when the threat was neutralized. She liked him. He was quick witted, sarcastic, and guarded. He also made her nervous. They were a bit too much alike. Nonetheless, he wasn’t at all squeamish and was great at fixing people up after any mishaps.

Daniel and Elyza shared the responsibility of helping Ofelia. It was with a small sad smile that Elyza watched him show her how to shoot the crossbow, her mind going back to her own father. She ended up giving it to the woman.

Of every one, Madison scared her the most. She was intelligent and calculating. Every move had a reason. It seemed she knew how to cut people down more than just mentally. She would do what needed to be done to get her family out of this alive. She was compassionate but not naïve. What scared her most perhaps was the way that she could read every little facial expression. She respected her though, more than even Daniel. She wasn’t the grizzled veteran, but she was fierce. A force to be reckoned with. 

Elyza looked down at the Alicia sleeping peacefully with her head nuzzled into her neck. She’d be alright. If something happened to her Madison would handle it. If she was bitten surely the woman would pull the trigger to end her life for good. And she would do the same. They had an understanding. She brushed the hair out of Alicia’s face. They’d keep her safe. They’d keep her good. They would do their best to keep her as untarnished as possible. “Always” she whispered into the top of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Sorry for those keeping up with this, I know it's been a while. I'll try to get back to updating regularly though. I've got ideas, just have to figure out how they'll play out. I hope you enjoyed! Leave a note if you'd like! I love reading what you've got to say. 
> 
> Oh! Also I hoped the Lexark interactions were satisfying. A bit of fluff there. I hope their kitchen interaction was enjoyable. I've gotta admit I'm 22 with absolutely no experience to draw from so I was kinda just winging it.


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